What I Wore

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Hello lovely friends! How is your week going? We've had a light snow falling this morning and it is cold again (after warming up to the 60's F. last week). I heard rumors of another "polar vortex" so I guess we should be prepared for winter to last a little while longer.

I have no new outfits or photos of my own to share this week, so I thought I would showcase some fun things I've been seeing around the Internet fashion world lately.

Are you familiar with Zulily yet? Oh my! Such a fun website with items offered for women, men, children, toys, education and home. There really is something for everyone and the sale prices are fantastic. These are time sensitive sales, though, so if you find something you like, you might want to grab it while you can. Check out Zulily today!

I also want to introduce you to a company I have been keeping my eye on for awhile. I am always on the look-out for companies that offer products which are both stylish and modest and that I can recommend to my friends and family. NoVae Clothing was started out of a need for fashionable yet modest clothing, because such things are sometimes difficult to find. The products NoVae Clothing offers are right up my alley.  Just look at a couple of my favourite items.

This 3/4 Sleeve Striped Color Block Top is on sale now for $24.99 (50% off!)

The Elbow Patch Sweater is also on sale right now for $38.99!

This Pencil Skirt is perfect! I love it and it's only $24.99 right now!

Deborah and Co. is another company which offers modest clothing in three categories: women, maternity, and girls.  They offer some sweet things, like this adorable Millie Tee for little girls. 

And this cute A-Line Skirt that can be made to order. You chose the size, fabric and length. How fun is that idea!

And then, from Ily Couture, there is this Wifey tee that I have on my wish list! SO cute!

And what about this one? I started following Sarah from Loved By Hannah and Eli on Instagram and love her products! Maybe my kids are a little old for me to wear this, but really, once a Mama Bear, always a Mama Bear, right?! It looks so comfy, I would probably want to wear it every single day.

What cute fashion finds have you purchased or had your eye on lately?

Blessings and love. xo

Linking up with Lindsey and friends for WIWW.

Our New Home (oh, and a question)

So you may remember that we had to move in the middle of December. We had exactly one month to find a house, pack up our belongings and get the heck out of Dodge. Thankfully, we have a fantastic real estate agent, who also happens to be a dear friend, who jumped at our call for help and found a place for us. We actually looked at three houses, but the one we moved into was the only real option of the three. This new adventure hasn't been without many questions and challenges, but I am thankful to the Father for His provision.

If you follow me on social media, you may have seen a photo of the house already. Here is a great shot Emma took one morning just after moving in.

As you may have guessed, this house is not a new one. In fact, it was built in the year 1900! How cool it that? I truly love old houses and feel like it's somewhat of an honour to live here. I hope to find out more of the stories of those who have lived here before us and the history of this area. 

Here are more shots to give you an idea of the feel of this house and it's charm and character.

As you can see, this is one charming place. The main challenge has been dealing with almost no closet space, which is the norm for such an old house. I still have a few boxes sitting around because I'm trying to come up with creative storage solutions. 

And now, on to my question. Even though there is a certain lack of storage space in this lovely home, there is one kitchen cupboard that I really can not figure out.  

Have a look:

So any ideas for what the purpose of this cupboard is? What would you do with this space? I have a few thoughts but I'll save them until I hear your ideas. 

Blessings and love. xo

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Weekly Menu Plan {24 February}

Monday - Leftovers

Tuesday - Vegetable soup and cornbread

Wednesday - Spaghetti with meatballs, Caesar salad and garlic bread

Thursday - Guinness Beef Stew, crusty bread

Friday - Bangers and Mash, sautéed spinach

Saturday - Snack-y supper

Sunday - Grilled shrimp and veggies with fettuccine 

Bob's parents gave us a BBQ grill for Christmas and even though it's winter and we've had  a fair bit of snow, we have been grilling on Sunday nights. We're usually all home on Sunday evenings, so it is a perfect time to fire up the BBQ and grill up something delicious. So, since this seems to be working in our schedule (for the moment), I've moved our traditional "snack-y supper" to Saturday for now.

Linking up with Menu Plan Monday.

Blessings and love. xo

Weekly Menu Plan {17 February}

Happy President's Day (USA) and Family Day (Canada)! I hope everyone has had a lovely day off work and school and regular schedules. 

Here is what I am planning for our suppers this week:

Monday - Leftovers

Tuesday - Chicken Pot Pie, salad

Wednesday - Taco Soup

Thursday - Asian Chicken Wraps

Friday - Cheese Enchiladas, black bean and corn salsa 

Saturday - Leftovers

Sunday - Snack-y supper

What's on your menu this week? Need some ideas? Hop on over to Laura's link-up at Menu Plan Monday.

Love and blessings. xo

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Blessings and love. xo

Disclaimer: This post contains referral links. Thank you for your support.

Weekly Menu Plan {10 February}

Hello, my friends! Are you staying warm in your neck of the woods? It's definitely still winter here, and we are happy about it. It is only February, after all. 

In case you missed it, I posted our go-to lunch ideas last week. And if you are gluten free and need to buy quality coconut flour or oil, check out this great sale going on for a few more days.

What delicious, nourishing meals are on your menu plan this week? 

Here is mine:

Monday - Leftover Chicken fajitas (We received a charcoal grill for Christmas and we are so excited to have a grill again! Bob was even barbecuing in the snow once again!)

Tuesday - Cream Cheese and Spinach Tortellini

Wednesday - Chicken Fried Rice

Thursday - Leftovers

Friday - Slow Cooker Barbacoa

Saturday - Vegetable soup, corn bread

Sunday - Snack-y supper

Have a fabulous week!

Blessings and love. xo

Linking up with Menu Plan Monday and Good Tips Tuesday!

Fantastic Sale going on now - Tropical Traditions

Through Thursday, 2/13, Pure Coconut Oil pints are on sale Buy 1 Get 1 FREE! Tropical Traditions 100% pure coconut oil is produced in the Philippines. The taste of this coconut oil is very bland due to it being steam deodorized and it provides a very neutral and consistent flavor to foods. Because this coconut oil does not go through the expensive organic certification process, it is much more affordable than other coconut oils sold as "organic" or "virgin," yet we feel it rivals or is superior to many other coconut oils on the market that are over-priced. This is Tropical Traditions' most affordable coconut oil. 



Other products on sale:

1 Gallon Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil

1 Pint Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil

4 oz. Coconut Moisturizing Cream (I'll be reviewing this soon!)

1 Pint Coconut Cream Concentrate

4.4 Pounds Organic Coconut Flour

Organic Whole Cane Sugar

Organic Freeze Dried Blueberries (These are YUMMY!)

How To Use Coconut Oil

Don't miss out on this great sale! 

Disclaimer: This post contains referral links. By using my links, you help support my family. Thank you so much!

Homemade Lunch Ideas

I've seen several moms ask for help with lunch ideas lately, so I thought I would share what works at our house. This is not a comprehensive list, but we have been homeschooling for 12 years now, so we've kind of found our middle of the day food groove. Not that we don't ever try anything new or that we never, ever go out for lunch, but this is what you can usually find on our lunch table on any given day.

Leftovers (I do assign at least one night a week for dinner to involve leftovers - you can see my dinner menu plans HERE)

Pita pizzas (Some of the kids like turkey-pepperoni and cheese, others like cheese and onions, and I like peppers, onions, olives and cheese.)

Toasted sandwiches - mainly turkey and cheese

Hummus and pitas (It's super easy to make your own hummus!)

Macaroni and cheese (I make a homemade version that doesn't take more than 15 minutes. If you don't have cheddar, you can use pretty much any cheese you prefer or have on hand. I think one of my more popular versions involved the bits and pieces of four different cheeses I had left in the refrigerator.)

Tuna and crackers

Tuna melts

Nachos (Make mine with jalapeños, please!)

Bean and cheese burritos (Make your own refried beans or just open a can.)

Turkey wraps

Salmon and cream cheese wraps

Salad with chicken tenders

Chicken salad (I have two recipes that we love, one is smoked and the other is curried.)

Egg salad (I grew up eating egg salad on sandwiches, but my crew prefer it on crackers.)

Artichoke/spinach dip

Cheese quesadillas

Bruschetta (I love to make this in the summer when fresh tomatoes and basil are in abundance.)

I serve a fruit plate, a veggie tray and/or chips on the side.

I shop mainly at Aldi, so these are all fairly frugal meals, and the plus for me is that they are homemade, so no added chemicals and junk you find in so much of the processed foods. I enjoy teaching my children to cook and they all have a strong appreciation of good food. 

What are your lunch preferences?

Blessings and love. xo

What I Wore

Happy Wednesday, friends! 

I'm running  a little late today, due to not having a chance to get on the laptop until now.

This is one of my favourite outfits . . . 

so comfortable, yet still stylish and fun. 

Tunic - passed down to me from my 17 y/o!!! Gotta love that.
Leggings - Target 
(I think it's time I invest in some of these.)
Scarf - old
Earrings - Kohl's 
Boots - Steve Madden

I hope your week is going well!

Blessings and love. 

xo

Linking up with The Pleated Poppy!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support! 

Weekly Menu Plan {3 February}

(One of my favourite things: A wintry scene with a brilliant red Northern Cardinal right in the midst of it all.)

Whoa, January is already finished and here we go, February! We've had more snow today, with more called for later this week. As you probably already gathered, I love snow! The more the merrier. Well, I don't like for Bob to have to drive to work or make his deliveries on the icy, slippery roads, but I guess Canada gave us lots of practice with that and thankfully, he hasn't had any trouble. 

We've added another component to our weekly schedule, so I've had to re-think how things can run smoothly. Leftovers or crock pot meals are called for on those busier days. 

What's on your menu this week? Here's my plan:

Monday - Leftovers

Tuesday - Turkey Chili and Cornbread

Wednesday - Spaghetti, salad, garlic bread

Thursday - Leftovers

Friday - Homemade Pizza

Saturday - Chicken Pot Pie, veggie tray

Sunday - Snack-y supper


Have a great week! 

Blessings and love. xo

I'm linking up with Menu Plan Monday.

Kirk Cameron's Unstoppable DVD {Review and Giveaway}

You may remember Kirk Cameron from his role as "Mike Seaver" on Growing Pains back in the 80's or maybe as his role in Fireproof in 2008 or most recently from his film Monumental which came out last year. He's back with a new film: Unstoppable, Where is God in the Midst of Tragedy and Suffering? This film was only in theaters for two weeknights (September 24 and October 3, 2013) and grossed over $3.2 million dollars. In just two nights, this independent project sent a very loud message - audiences are longing for thought-provoking and meaningful entertainment.

The film was inspired by the death of 15 year old Matthew Sandgren, son of James and Marci Sandgren, friends of the Cameron family. When a cancer diagnosis is given, when a child dies, when facing suffering, we may ask "where is God?" or "why didn't God heal him?" or other weighty questions. These are the questions Kirk asked, as well, which led him to go back to the very beginning to look at who God is, where man and woman began, where evil came into the picture. And this is where the documentary suddenly takes a surprising and beautiful twist. All of the sudden, we are taken back to the Garden of Eden. The cinematography is stunning. The portrayal of God creating Adam and Eve evoked quite a few "WOW"s from my crew and me. The serpent was portrayed very creatively (and yes, still creepily). I almost wish that there were more of these biblical scenes scattered throughout the film. Maybe there will be in future film projects. I appreciate the fresh and imaginative perspective. The music is also beautiful and suitable to the different scenes. We had never heard of Warren Barfield but will be looking up his other music, as we loved his song "The Time Is Now" featured on this DVD.

I watched this film with four of my five children. We highly recommend it. (The scene portraying Cain and Abel is graphic and not suitable for young children.) I am thankful that Kirk didn't choose to just say "God is good. God is sovereign. We just have to accept the bad with the good," as is so prevalent in our American Christian culture. Yes, God is sovereign and good. Absolutely. But Kirk goes deeper. He goes to the beginning, back to the garden, to the dirt. He talks about how evil entered, man's response and responsibility, Noah, the tower of Babel, Jesus - where everything changed,  and concludes that through going on this journey, he is more confident than ever that life wins over death, good wins over evil and light wins over darkness. Life is hard. Life is full of challenges, grief and suffering, but God and His character and promises and purposes are unstoppable. 

Take a look at the Unstoppable trailer:



Connect with the Unstoppable film:
Facebook
Twitter
Website

And thanks to the folks at FlyBy Promotions, I have the opportunity to give away one copy of the Unstoppable DVD to one of my readers! 

Giveaway Details:
If you would like to enter this giveaway, please leave a comment telling me one thing about yourself (anything that is family friendly, of course!) or one way that you've struggled in your faith. If you do not have any kind of faith, that's okay, too, feel free to say so. This giveaway is open to anyone 13 or older in the US and CANADA. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Giveaway ends: Friday, February 14, 2014 11:59pm ET. Please leave your email address!

Disclaimer:

Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Opinions are my very own.

And the winner, chosen by random.org, is Jennifer Blanton! Congratulations, Jennifer! Please contact me scarlettroyce(at)gmail.com to claim your giveaway prize! Thanks to all who entered, and for those of you who shared your hurts and challenges and pain, thank you and please know that I am praying for you. The Father loves you and wants to bring you comfort and peace.