Jealousy

Jealousy
We all know what the word means.
We don't need a dictionary to look up the meaning.
There is no confusion or misunderstanding of the word.
It is the Green- Eyed Monster.
It is one of Satan's most powerful tools to destroy.

It is the little anthill that turns into a huge mountain.

It is most women's biggest secret and causes the deepest wombs.

It is  that nagging voice of unreason and doubt.

It is the little seed that settles in the core of our hearts and if left to itself will destroy our very souls.

It has ruined friendships.
It has destroyed marraiges.
It has split churches.
It has no respect of person and holds all as it's very own prisoner.

It lies to you.
It hates you.
It sucks the life out of you!

So how can we live a victorious life against such a vicious enemy?

One word: God

We all know that name.
We don't need a dictionary to look up His name.
There is no confusion or misunderstanding in this lovely name.
He is our Saving Grace.
He is the Captain of our Army and the only One who can deliver us from the attacks of Satan.

He can turn our biggest fears into huge mountains of faith and victories.

We can bare our deepest darkest secrets to Him.
He is the way, the truth and the life and he alone can heal our deepest wombs.

He is the voice of Reason and Truth.

He can take those little seeds of doubt and destroy them with His Calming Love  and Assurance.

He restores friendships.
He delivers marriages.
He rekindles churches and ignites them with a Flame that Satan can not blow out.
And only He can set the prisoners free.

In Him is Truth.
In Him is Love.
And in Him is abundant life filled with joy and peace.

Life is too short to allow jealousy to destroy you.
Let God sparkle and shine in your life.
Let Him destroy the firey darts of the Devil and deliver you from the chains.

Live your life to the fullest and let the jealousy go.

A Surprise Weekend Getaway

It's amazing how God always knows what we need, sometimes before we even know!!!! Such is the case with my husband.  God knew exactly what I needed in a husband.  He knew my needs,  dreams and desires. God gave me everything I had ever asked for and what I had only dreamed of but never asked.
Eph. 3:20 says that "Now unto him that is exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think....."
And that is just what God did, He did exceedingly abundantly above. I'm still in awe at the amazing man God choose just for me.

This weekend my husband whisked me away on a surprise weekend getaway. And might I add. ..a much needed one!!!!! He had been carefully planning this for months.  It started off on Valentines Day with a sweet card telling me that I was in for a  surprise the next Saturday. He also told me not to make any plans for the next weekend cause we needed a slow weekend.
Well on Wednesday he sent me a txt that told me to pack and how to pack!!! He told me to also pack for the little man that he was staying with his Nana....whoohoo!!!! And the only other piece of information he would give out was that we would leave Thursday evening after I got finished teaching piano.
Boy,  Thursday evening could not get here fast enough! !!!!

When I was finished with piano,  the boys picked me up,  we had a nice dinner and we were off to Nana's house.  We stayed there for the night and had a wonderful time laughing at Arlee....

Yes...he is playing with sticky bra pads!!!!!
Oh this kid...lol

The next morning we snuck  out while the  little Chicken Nugget was still asleep and we headed off down the road....I still had no idea where we were going. We stopped and had a nice breakfast, but boy was it strangely quiet with just the two of us!!!!!

A few hours later we arrived at our destination...
Hot Springs, Arkansas. Neither of us had ever been. And it did not disappoint.

I got to start my weekend  off with a fun shopping trip to one of my all time faves...Hobby Lobby!!!!

Then after a little shopping and a light lunch my amazing Hubs surprised me again with an envelope!!..it had tickets for a dinner/theater. That is one of my favorite things to do...oh this man gets me

So we dressed up and went to dinner, then downtown for the play......

Afterwards he took me out for dessert. He totally knows my love language!!!!

The next morning he surprised me again with another envelope. This one was for a one hour massage.....a much needed one too might I add! 

 I also got an essential oil that will help with neck pain....I'm very excited about that happy! !!

After the massage we went exploring the city. We found the most quaint little toy store downtown where we got Arlee a few wooden puzzles. I have been on the hunt for some so I was thrilled  to find them. .. one became a little happy for him when we picked him up and the others I'm saving cause they will make a great Easter Basket gift!!

We went to lunch at the best little place, the Dixie Cafe. The food and the service was amazing!!!

Then we found a fun antique store. I found a couple of kid books in great condition. That is another item I'm always looking for.  Arlee loves to "read".
I also found a beautiful pottery bowl....and for $6.
Not too shabby..lol

I was informed that we needed to head back because there was another envelope awaiting me. Woo-hoo!!!!!
This sweet gift was for movie and popcorn. And this thoughtful feller picked out a movie I had been dying to see. Going to a movie is such a fun date for us but we never get the opportunity anymore..so this was a special treat for us.

 After the movie, we did a little more shopping. I found this lovely little lady sitting all alone on clearance.  She was begging  me to take her home. ..so of course I had to.  She was the the cherry on top of the Sunday.  It was amazing how this new spring purse was on clearance.  I had been wanting a blush colored one.  But I could not and would not pay full price for one.  But this very purse in the very color I wanted was there,  on clearance,  all alone.  Was this a coincidence???? Oh. I think not.  God had this little happy there waiting for me.

After an amazing and fast weekend, we packed up and headed home so I could get my hands back on my little firecracker 🔥 

As much as I needed this weekend and this getaway, I was ready to get home and love on my little man.

 All of my goodies... not included in the picture is the pottery (which is already in my china cabinet)
And the books and puzzles. Those have been confiscated by a 2 yr old and the Easter Bunny.

This was most definitely 

an amazing weekend to remember. Maybe one of the best I've ever had in my life. I was spoiled and made to feel like a princess!!..for that,  I will be forever grateful.  Thank you God for the amazing husband you have given me.  I'm undeserving and humbled.

Keeping up with the Joneses

One of the biggest dangers  I have noticed on Social Media is falling into the trap of "Keeping up with the Joneses".
We get to take a small peek into other people's lives. And sometimes we mistake thier pictures for perfection.
They may have a beautiful family, a huge house, gorgeous clothes and a nice shiny expensive new car. They may have perfect hair and perfect teeth that sparkle in every picture. They may seem to have a perfect marraige with adorable clean kids who smile for the camera.
And before we know it we begin to compare our lives and our belongings with what they have.

 Without meaning to, we become dissatisfied with what we have been blessed with and we soon desire more. We focus on all the things we don't have instead of counting our blessings for the abundance of things we do have.
We fall into the pit of "Keeping up with the Joneses"
We think we have to have things we don't need but we want it simply because they have it.

While doing the Fashion Challenge during Valentines, I was honored to meet some of the most amazing women.  There were ladies that had the most incredible style and there were a few that had very expensive taste. There were also many ladies that shopped at thrift stores and were so talented with piecing outfits together.
One of the challenges was  not to  buy anything new but put clothes together that you already had.
I really appreciated that.
The emphasis was not on who had the cutest clothes, or the most expensive but the focus was on being creative with what you had in your closet.

It would have been so easy to compare myself to all these amazing fashionistas. But, I would have instantly drowned myself in insecurities. It would have been so easy to fall into the lie that my clothes and my style did not measure up and I needed what they had. But that would have defeated the whole purpose of the challenge.
Instead, I focused  on making new friends and gleaning  some inspiration from thier expertise.

I wanted to share this thought with yall because I know that I must not be the only human being with these struggles.
It's easy to compare ourselves  and feel we don't measure up.
But this is a lie from Satan himself. He wants us to be discontent with our lives and our families.
He wants us to buy things we don't need and can't afford.
He wants us to fall into the dangerous trap of keeping up with everyone else.
He knows financial struggles will destroy a family.
He knows if He can get us to compare our family with someone else's  picture perfect family that we will soon become unhappy.
He knows if He can get us unhappy He can come in for the attack. And then He will try to destroy.....And believe me He is out to destroy our families!!!

So my plea for all of us is,
don't fall into the social media trap that someone else's life is perfect.
 It's not!!
Everyone has thier own struggles and insecurities. Behind that perfect picture of the perfect family with the huge house and shiny new car that you are jelous of. There just may be a debt that is crushing their  marriage.
There may be a secret that the camera is hiding!

So...
Be confident in who you are.
Be content with what you have.
Enjoy your life.
Love your life and
Live your life.
(It's the only one you will get)
Sparkle and shine for the Glory of God.
And don't try to "keep up with the Joneses"

Playing Dress Up!!!

Last month I did a health challenge. #20in20.
20 days of at least a 20 minute workout and 20 days of no sugar. I did great. I lost 5 pounds and I feel like I really got the sugar back out of my system. I plan to just stay away from it this year!! I hate how quickly it affects my body and not in a positive way..boo!

This month I am hitting up a new kind of challenge. A fashion one! As I have shared before, I love all things fashion, so I think this will be fun.
Both are Valentine's inspired challenges.
When I think of Valentine's Day, I think of  dresses and skirts, lace and satin, pearls and sparkles, pink and red, and of course, all things girlie and feminine.
Since I do not get the opportunity to dress up often, I am looking forward to the challenges. I plan to play a little dress up when my little man is napping.

Today I found a little inspiration with pink, red, pearls and silver sparkles.

Okay, so other than the obvious that I need a tan, I loved dressing up. I guess the little girl in me has just never gone away. A part of me would love to dress up like this everyday again. I have so many clothes and shoes in my closet that I adore and they do not get used that often. But honestly,  I would not trade all the pretty dresses in the world for the blessings of staying home and raising my little Peanut.
So for now, I will continue on with my cute and comfy mommy style and play dress up every once in awhile!!
I would love for you to follow me on instagram during my fashion challenges.
Dots_frugal_fashion
Wish me luck!!

Snow Days and Other Shenanigans

Friday we woke up to snow! There is just something about that first snow. Expecially down south.
Seeing everything covered in a blanket of fresh snow!!
 It is so pure and beautiful. It is simply amazing how it brings out the kid in everyone.

Unfortunately, it did not take long to start melting away.
But we sure enjoyed playing in it with our little feller.
And He enjoyed driving in it with his Gator.
 It is just the simple things of life that bring us the greatest joy!

God is so Majestic and Wonderful to give us the splendor  of His amazing handy work. A beautiful master piece that we call a winter wonder land.
I am so humbled that He loves us so much and He allows us to enjoy life.

We had such a fun family day. We did not go anywhere. We just took advantage of a cozy lazy day

Saturday my hubby went hunting, so me and the little man just entertained ourselves around the house. Nothing cuter than a 2 year old playing 

Peek-a-Boo 

 He is getting pretty good at the hiding game too.
Today when I told him to clean up his room... he turned, ran and hid from me!!!!...how cute is that!!
Oh the joys of motherhood. You just have to laugh.

Also, this weekend we had a photo shoot for our Real estate company. We took it at the University's baseball stadium. Thankfully it was a beautiful sunny day. We asked Lee's sister to come and help out with Arlee and then do lunch after. 

The photo shoot was a little longer than we expected but I did get one of the family while we were there!

Then we headed off to a Japanese Restaurant.

It was Arlee's first time and it was precious!

His face lit up as bright as the flame on the grill and his eyes got as big as saucers.

The entire table got a kick out of his reaction.

Lee and I get more joy out of watching Arlee experiencing something for the first time.

We had a wonderful long weekend. Love our family time and so blessed to call them mine!

The Battle of being Balanced...in my house!!!

So, funny story......

I was recently told by a lady in Walmart how she could never be a stay at home mom.
She said she would get bored to death.
She mentioned that you could only clean your house so much and then what!!
What do you do then???

I giggled, not really knowing how to respond and told her to have a wonderful day. 
Then I walked off thinking.....

1. I am never bored

2. I can not clean my house enough, I have a 2 yr old

3. She must not have had kids...lol

There are days I feel like I am just going in a circle,  picking up one mess after another. 
I like a clean house. 
I want everything in its place,  and I want it to stay there!!!

But that is not realistic  with a very, very active 2 year old. I want my son to enjoy his home.  I want him to  feel free to live in it.  Make messes and create utter chaos, play airplanes and cars. Dump out his toys in every room and make it look as if a Tornado just hit smack in the center of our home..well, part of me does!!!!

Yes,  part of me enjoys watching him play and be creative.  Part of me can chill out and join right in his little imaginary fort that he made out of every pillow from my couch. Part of me can let loose and says "isn't this fun"?!?!.....but it's the other part of me that's screaming Agh!!!!!!..."I just cleaned this house"
It's the other part of me that sees all the creative messes as total destruction to all of my  hard work. The messes just  seem to mess with my head. My neat and tidy universe has become cluttered and chaotic!!

It's in these moments,  that I have had to battle being balanced in my home. I have had to learn what works for us. Figure out what helps me keep my sanity and allow Arlee the freedom to enjoy his home.
I know I like a clean house. That will never change. I can not function in clutter. I do not judge others that can and do!!!!...it's just me and my environment.
My husband also needs a clean home.  It would drive him loony if he came home to a house that had been over-taken by Toys-R-Us.

Arlee needs to be a child. He wants to play wherever I am.  So toys end up in the living room,  dining room,  office and my bedroom.

So this is how I manage my organized chaos.
While Arlee is up and playing,  I let him play.
I let him play hard!!!!
But if I notice he has made a mess in one room and he is no longer playing with that mess,  we stop and clean up that mess.
I am trying to teach him once he is done playing with something, put it up or clean it up before moving on to the next thing.
He is getting pretty good at "ceen up" (as he calls it!!)

When it's time to get him ready for nap,  we clean up and put all of his toys where they belong.
We clean his room and then he goes down for nap.
When he gets up,  it's play time (destruction time) again.  And I let him at it!!!!
Right before my hubby gets home,  we do a quick clean up and I usually put on a cartoon for Arlee to watch.  That way the Hubs can come home to a clean home.  That is important to him.
And then soon enough,  the Tornado hits again....Lee is usually right in the middle of this one!!
He loves playing with Arlee. He is a good daddy!!
And before he goes to bed we clean up again.
He knows where his toys go and how they are organized.
Kids are smart!
It is up to us to teach them and train them.
We made it into  a game when we clean and we sing a "ceen up" song. I think he enjoys it just as much as making a mess.

So this has helped me to be a little more balanced.
 It has taken me a little while to get here.
 And I have had to learn to chill.
We have a clean home,  a happy home but definitely a lived in home!!!!

I would not change these sweet messes and clutter for anything in the world!!!!!

The Battle of being Balanced

Since I had my little munkin, I have had to relearn the word balance.
Trying to adjust to new priorities and schedules.
 Figuring out a plan as a stay at home mommy.
Maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle.
Serving the Lord in my personal daily walk and in my church ministries.

Teaching piano lessons from home and in town at a studio.
Keeping the house clean and trying to take care of me!!!

It's a battle to be balanced.

When I first had my little pumpkin, I found myself struggling with the purpose of getting dressed and ready for the day.
Those first few days were so hard.
I stayed in my pjs and made it a goal to just brush my teeth.
I was in survival mode people.
It was a huge accomplishment if I got to fix my hair let alone wash my hair.
And I didn't even think of deoterant or nice smelling lotions. I'm pretty sure I was rocking the smells of baby spit up mixed with baby lotion....yuck!
But, I felt like I didn't have time to take care of myself, cause I was putting all my energy into taking care of my baby.
After a few weeks and a little more sleep, I would make it a point to try and wash my face, brush my teeth and tame my nappy hair, or at least by the time my hubby came home...but there were no promises!!
Besides, it was just me and the baby.
ALONE.
All day.
I felt like it didn't matter.
The reality was, I felt like nothing mattered except the baby.
Not even me!!

Now, 2 years later I look back at some of the things I have learned about myself.

I have always been that  person that as soon as I get home, I change out of my clothes and put on my pjs.
Being comfy is just my preference.

When I worked full time, I loved getting dressed up and picking out my clothes. Putting outfits together and dressing professional was a passion.
I love Fashion but I love my comfy clothes more.
As soon as my feet entered my home, I was out of the dressy clothes and into my pjs!

That was fine when I had a full time job OUTSIDE of my home. But now that I stay home most of the day, I can't just stay in my pjs ALL DAY!!

Why?? You ask.
Well I am the type of person who struggles for finding purpose. Even though I am chasing my "purpose" around all day and cleaning up after my "purpose" and all of his little messes  and teaching and training my little "purpose" throughout the day  I still want to feel good and happy in my own skin. There is just something about getting dressed and ready that makes me feel happy and good.
Getting out of my pjs makes me feel like I have a purupse.
Then when I feel like I have a purpose, I feel like I need to have a plan to make the most of my day. Pl
I notice when I stay in my pjs I don't fix my hair, I don't bother with make-up and I just feel a little down and bummy.
I am not as productive during the day and I tend to be a little more lazy.
I don't want to take Arlee outside to play, cause um hello, I'm in my pjs!!
I don't feel like preparing healthy meals or exercising.
I just don't feel like putting together a plan for my day. Then at the end of the day I feel like I had no purpose!
But on the opposite end of the spectrum, I find it hard to get all  dressed up, roll my hair and do my full make-up routine. Putting on all my jewelry would just be silly!
I'm not going to  want to play on the floor or outside and get my clothes messy.
Ever heard the saying "All dressed up with no place to go"....yeah, not gonna happen.
It's just not practical.

So, I had to find a balance.
Just getting out of my pjs and getting into nice clean, fresh, comfy clothes is always my first step.
It is what I need to help me take the next step.
I do not spend hours grooming, but just enough to help me feel good.
Brushing my teeth and my hair works wonders.
I do a little eye make up (simply because it is what makes me feel better) and I'm done.

I have my quiet time and then I make a list of my goals for the day so i have a plan and purpose and off I go.
I have found that for me, I'm more productive when I feel good about myself.
And I feel good about myself when I take the time to take care of myself.

So for all of us stay at home mommies, there us nothing wrong with us wanting y I feel good about ourselves.
We may not be dressed up in the professional attire that most ladies around us are.
But we can have pride in ourselves and in our profession.
We can have purpose and the find balance that we need!

I believe we need to be balanced:
Spiritually
Physically
Emotionally
Financially
 But for today let's just focus on ourselves and taking good care of us!!!

Here are a few examples of my mommy's style!
I like to dress in a style that is comfy and appropriate for chasing around a toddler and cleaning house. But a style that  does not take much to transform it to be appropriate to wear for running errands or teaching piano.

So, my mommy style at home...

  

Then to transform it for piano

Add a jewelry and booties and ready to go....

Mommy style for home...

Then my running around style

 Add a scarf and some boots and okie dokie...

 My mommy style at home.....

Then to dress it up a bit

 Add jewelry and change my shoes and I've gone from "Around the House to "Around the Town"...

                         My comfy mommy style!

 Most days you will find me in leggings and a tunic. It is the balance I have found that works well  for me.  Its somewhere between my Sunday best and my pjs!!!! But I feel happy and good....because being balanced can be a battle!!