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- 6 ways to find time to spend with God as a new mom
If you are reading this you are probably a new mom, pregnant, or a mom of multiples and we are all going through this together guys so don't stress. I got pregnant 4 months after I was just married at 21. We loved it and are so grateful to have kids at a younger age. But something I struggled with was finding time to spend with God. Before I was married I lived with my parents and I would be home in the evenings and have so much time to read, workout, write, worship, pray. You know all the stuff that everybody else on the internet does perfectly who don't have kids? lol But after I got pregnant it was super tough because my pregnancy was so hard. So I literally was sick almost my whole pregnancy and then having a baby was like whoa I don't have any time still. When I did I just wanted to sleep, relax, call people, or I just was so overwhelmed I tried to handle it myself and go on social media to distract me instead of bring it to God. Now looking back, I can see how much time I had that I didn't utilize that I could have used to spend time with God. But I just felt so out of place and not myself. I kept wanting all the conditions to be perfect to sit and read and worship...like it used to be. I thought, I just want to get back into that same on fire relationship that I was on before kids. Being able to go to Bible study groups, praying for long periods of time, worshiping by myself, reading the word for as long as I want. There was other things as well like working out and eating healthy. What I didn't realize was God knew about my pregnancy, He knew what motherhood was like, He knew how much it was going to rock my world in the best way. He knew all this before and He was with me the entire time. But I felt my physical conditions had to align with what I was used to. That even means worshiping alone, praying alone, being on the streets ministering to people, leading bible studies and just having it all together. Don‘t get me wrong, I love all that stuff that’s why I felt like I was thriving. However, God is in the midst of struggle and growth. In those places, He is not any different, He is unchanging. He is our Rock. When conditions are easy, its easy to have it all together. When conditions are hard, its harder to have it all together. This may sound obvious but its not just knowledge. Its realizing that nothing in my life is ever going to go back to what it was like pre-pregnancy. Not my body, not my relationships with other people, not my schedule or anything else because God was taking me from glory to glory and created me to be able to grow humans and raise humans and through that, He is growing and refining us to be like Him. We are made in His image and are set apart for His purpose. God said this was good. God designed motherhood and called us to be fruitful and multiple the earth. He knew your 5 month old was still going to be waking through the night like a thousand times. He knew your toddler was going to test every bit of patience in you. What a blessing it is to be the nurturer and teach the love of God to the next generation. We need Jesus. We need His love. He is not a feeling. He is our rock. I can only imagine what you have gone through. The loneliness, struggles, confusion, frustration, fear, vulnerability. But if you get anything out of this know that He is faithful to be by your side no matter what and you can always turn to Him and say "Hey Jesus, I need your help." My faith in God has been refined from a feeling and a perfect condition to worship Him. To a strong foundation in knowing He is my Rock and my Salvation my God in whom I trust no matter the circumstance, His love does not change for me. Because of that revelation; my feelings of guilt, shame, distance and isolation from Him changed into accepted, worthy, loved, purposed, strength. I was not defined by my works because I never could do it on my own anyway. I am solely defined by Jesus. The cycle of trying to have the perfect time to spend with God was erased and what came out of it was solid foundation that I didn’t even know needed to be solidified. I’m not saying that when you have a baby there is no time to spend with God or that you should or need to take 6 months off, I’m saying that life is going to change and it’s a good thing. God is refining you, so lean into the change by the unchanging Father instead of resisting and trying to hold on to the old. Through that, I believe your relationship with God will grow and flourish. From Glory to glory. So obviously you clicked on this for ideas to find time so I will share what has worked for me as a new mom. 1) Reading the word time = Nursing/feeding Sessions: Pick one or two nursing sessions a day that you can count on that this time I’m going to read the word and next time I can go on instagram or check emails or shop or whatever. 2) Listening to the word- it doesn't have to be just read, we have audio bible apps now that can read it out loud while you listen. Or put on a podcast or sermon from youtube or your online church. All these are feeding your spirit while you are tending to your new baby, doing the dishes, cleaning up, getting work done. 3)) Worship sessions = singing to your baby your favorite worship songs to put them to sleep. Put music on in the background while your making food or playing with your new nugget. 4) Prayer time = night time nursing/feeding sessions - helps you stay awake because we all know its really hard while lights are dim and you have a snuggle button laying on you. What a gift from God that we get this time to pray over our children as well. 5) Journalling-a different nursing/feeding session or while the baby is napping or playing. Writing down how your days was, things you liked, didn't like, looking forward too. I love writing poetry, songs, things God has told me in prayer. This is fun to look back on to remember where you were at and how far you have come. 6) Get a devotional- sometimes its really hard to quiet your mind as a new mom and just focus on a place that you open up to in the Bible and be totally engaged. I found that my mind wandered a lot. A devotional is guided to help you think about a specific topic, read in the word and study that topic and then journal what God says to you. It can vary on time. There are so many out there but I have been loving the Candace Cameron Bure devotionals. I own three on them: Beautiful Broken, Unwavering Faith, and Love over all. I highly recommend these ones because I feel it goes deep enough where I can meditate on His word and what He is saying without being distracted. These can be done during nursing sessions as well. Remember God is with you. He sees you and He has called what your doing good. Not just what you used to be like but what you are doing now as a mother raising your children He has called good. We can't work to be in right standing with God only Jesus has made us in right standing with God.
- Morning Chocolate Muffins
If you don't know already how much I love baking with Kodiak you should hang around a little longer because you will find that I use it at least once a week. No this is not sponsored, I truly just love the baking mix. They are simple clean basic ingredients, as it should be. They have tons of different options like pancake mix, muffin mix, brownie mix, oatmeal, bars, snacks and more. I highly recommend you check them out. They are also packed with protein. I am always craving that carby breakfast but I get hungry like 2 hours later and I don't feel that I am nourishing my body as I should be. Which is why I love that they have protein in them so you get the carbs your craving and the protein you need :) Last weekend my family came up to visit and we had so much fun catching up. I made these chocolate muffins from their chocolate waffle mix. They turned out so good and were gone within 24 hours! You could make them for family coming over, bible studies, brunch, afternoon snacks, breakfast, after school snacks or the kids. Seriously so quick and simple which is what I love being a busy mom of 2! The recipe is on the back of the muffin box. Its not my own so Im not going to share it but trust me, buy the box and make the muffins and you won't be disappointed.
- Maple Cinnamon French Toast
I know it’s summer but its never to early to start preparing for yummy fall foods ;) It started to get cold here In Minnesota after we had 100 degree days so I felt like summer came and left and it’s still June. It got me in all the fall feels and I was craving some French toast so I thought I would share my recipe with you all! Seriously so good! It’s dense, packed with flavor and hits the sweet tooth :) also depending on your bread, it can make a huge difference in taste, so choose what you love! Maple Cinnamon French Toast Ingredients: (3-4 servings -2 slices per serving) bread (it made 9 slices ) 7 eggs 1/2 cup whole milk 2 Tsp cinnamon 1/4 cup maple syrup 1 tsp vanilla extract Directions: Preheat griddle to 350. Beat eggs together until creamy. Mix in milk, maple syrup and vanilla. Add in cinnamon and mix really well. Cinnamon can be a tough one to mix it but it just takes a little longer. Dip your bread in one by one and place on griddle or pan. Bake each side until golden brown and no more raw egg is showing. I really hope you guys enjoy this recipe! I absolutely love baking and cooking and love sharing different foods that are easy and simple to do. :)
- Baked Honey Garlic Salmon
Baked Salmon: 3 fish fillets Honey -drizzle 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp Italian seasoning 1 -2 tsp salt 1 Tbsp avocado oil Directions: 1)Preheat oven to time on bag. Mine is usually 425 for 9-12 mins. 2)Thaw salmon out from freezer and place in baking dish. 3)Drizzle honey over salmon. Be generous! 4)Drizzle avocado oil over salmon. 5) Sprinkle Spices over salmon (pinch of salt, onion powder, Italian seasoning and garlic) 6)Bake for 12 mins and enjoy;)
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
I’m laughing because I literally threw stuff in one giant mixing bowl and it came out so good. So most of the ingredients are exact, others I had to guess on the measurements because I did not measure. I was like this is either going to turn out really bad or super delicious. Truly I think the milk made it all happen. It was pretty chilly today in Minnesota, almost like a fall day. I was really craving banana bread but our kitchen was a mess and Legacy was sleeping so I was like should I just relax but Im so glad I did because it turned out bomb. Even Tyler was commenting on how it’s going to be gone by tomorrow...which is true. Ingredients: 1 1/2 cup flour 1 egg 1/2 cup sugar 1 big pinch of salt 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 2 big bananas 1 tsp baking soda 1/4 cup whole milk 1/3 cup butter 2 tsp cinnamon 1 cup chocolate chips *Extra cinnamon for topping Directions: •Preheat oven to 375 •Mix bananas, butter, cinnamon and egg together in blender on medium. •Add sugar and continue mixing. •Add salt and vanilla extract. •Add one cup flour and baking soda to same bowl. Mix on low to medium. •Add in rest of flour. •Add in chocolate chips. •Pour into baking dish with a spatula. •Sprinkle lots of cinnamon on top almost so it covers the whole thing(a very thin cover) • Use spatula to sway back and forth so it creates cinnamon swirls throughout the bread. •Baked for 30 mins *I did not separate my wets and drys I added everything together in the order I listed and it turned out super moist and soft.
- Baked Rotini
Home cooked meals are the best. Nutrient dense, flavorful and sitting around the table to cultivates long lasting relationships in families. For the longest time now I have been such a slump to cook, we have been going out to eat way to much, we did just come back from vacation now so that could be why. However, I was totally ready to jump back into meal planing and cooking! It was actually really fun and I am always so happy when I make something everyone loves. It brings so much joy to my heart. This recipe is SO SIMPLE. Anyone could do it. Which makes making food at home even more appetizing because most of the time we are to lazy to cook or don’t have enough time. Lastly I used chickapea pasta instead of whole wheat pasta. I am all for Whole Foods and whole wheat products, the cool thing about this pasta is that there is 22g of protein and 8 grams of fiber per 3.5 oz serving. Thats a lot! I usually love adding meat but this is great if you want a meatless dinner. Serving 4 Time: 30 mins Ingredients: 1 box of Banza Rotini Pasta 15oz of Ricotta Cheese 1 jar of Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce 1 cup Mozzarella Cheese 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese Directions: •Boil pasta for 9 mins and drain •While pasta is boiling preheat oven to 350 •In pan (9x9) pour in sauce and ricotta cheese and mix together until combined. •Add in cooked pasta, mix well. •Sprinkle mozzerella cheese and parmesan cheese on top. •Bake for 15 mins •Serve with salad and breadsticks! Bon Appétit!
- Two Spring Desserts That knocked it out of the park.
Lately, I have been wanting to expand my skills when it comes to baking. I have tried a few new recipes that turned out as a mouth watering goodness dessert and didn't last very long in the house. The first one is an M&M sandwich cookie by restoreyourradiance.com They are so good you guys. We made them for valentines day and they were one of the best cookies I have ever had. She has worked so hard on perfecting her cookies recipes. I have followed her for a long time and I can definitely testify that she has done well. They are chewy, moist and thick cookies. So in this instance though I went outside of my box by making buttercream frosting for the middle. I would normally never do a cookie sandwich but like I said I have wanted to expand my baking recipes and skills. The buttercream frosting was again a 10/10 I was just eating that with a spoon lol. These are so fun to make for holidays, gatherings, or just for fun with your kids. Definitely going to be making these again. The second dessert that put me out of the box was a filled cupcake. Tyler gave me money for valentines day to go to a store I really like and just pick out what I want. I found a cookbook that was dedicated to cupcakes. I like cupcakes but I have never been obsessed with cupcakes like I would say I am about cookies. But my taste buds have changed after being pregnant twice and I am in love with all things birthday cake flavors rather than just classic brownies or cookies. I found this cookbook and wanted to try and grow myself in learning the art of cupcake making, because let me tell you some people out there can make crazy fantastic mouth watering cupcakes and I want to learn how that's done. I decided to start with a lemon cupcake filled with lemon curd topped with cream cheese frosting! Yum Yum. It took quiet awhile to make but it was so worth it! It satisfied those lemony cravings and is so perfect for those spring time feels. Tyler, Legacy and Patriot all loved it. Legacy helped me of course and had a blast making it. It wasn't to heavy either, it was light and sweet. Highly recommend this one.
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bars
For the last 3 weeks or so I have been working out consistently 3 times a week! Which is not a lot but it’s worth celebrating! My sister and I have started an accountability group together to help encourage each other to get moving. That might be stretching for the day, focused toning, barre, strength, cardio whatever it is our goal is to keep active and build that habit into our daily life. I definitely have set different goals for myself this year than I usually do but I felt after coming off of 2020 this freedom to let go of the things that are not fruitful and focus on the things that add value and strength into my life. Being mentally, physically and spiritually there for my family is everything. That goes with incorporating more delicious healthy snacks for my family. I love these protein bars. Legacy helped me make them and oh my goodness do they taste like a Reese’s cup! They are absolutely pure and healthy and so good for you! Serving size: 9 bars Time: 10 mins prep, 30 mins refrigerate Ingredients: 1 cup peanut butter 1/4 cup flax seed 1/4 cup protein powder 1/4 cup maple syrup/honey 2 oz dark chocolate Directions: Line 8x8 square pan with parchment paper. In medium size mixing bowl add all ingredients except the chocolate and mix until combined. Should be thick and moldable. Press mixture in pan until it’s about 1/2 inch thick across the board In sauce pan melt chocolate over medium, pour over bars and spread with a spatula or spoon until it covers all of the bars. Cover bars and put in fridge for at least 30 mins. Once harden, cut bars and then you can either leave in the pan or take them out by grabbing the parchment paper and pulling it out and setting bars on table. I like to wrap them indivdually so you can just grab and go.
- Chicken Pot Pie (Dairy free)
This pot pie stands alone. You definitely don’t need any extra. It’s golden crust and flavorful creamy veggies and chicken will warm you up during these cold winters months! We always had store bought pot pie as I can remember but I decided to make my own and it’s so easy! Takes about 1 hour from start to finish if chicken is precooked. I just throw mine in the crockpot at lunch time on high so by the time dinner is ready it’s all good to go. Super easy. Ingredients: chicken: 1 lb of chicken 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp onion powder 1 tbsp of lemon pepper seasoning 1tsp salt Pie Filling: 2 cups frozen veggies (green beans, peas, carrots) 1 package of refrigerated pie crust 2 tbsp of butter or avocado oil 1/3 cup flour 1 1/3 cups chicken stock 2/3 cup milk 2 tsp onion powder 1 tsp garlic salt 1 tsp crushed garlic 1 tsp salt 1 tsp black pepper 1 egg Directions: Put chicken in crockpot and cook on high for 4 hours, add salt, lemon pepper, onion and garlic powder. For filling: preheat oven to 425. In sauté pan add veggies and avocado oil or butter. Sauté on medium to high heat for 5 minute. Add crushed garlic. coat well. Add rest of seasonings. Add flour and coat well. Add chicken stock and mix well until starts bubbling and thickens. Add milk, mix well again until thickens and bubbles. Add chicken and mix. Line pie pan with crust and pour in filling. Lay 2nd crust on pie and press down on sides and fold down. Use fork to press on edges of pie and then peel extra pie crust off the edges so you have a nice clean pie crust edge. Crack egg in a bowl and whisk. Spread some of the egg over the entire pie and edges. This will create a nice golden flakey crust. Bake for 30mins. Let cool for 10 mins and enjoy. :) I served mine with dinner rolls and butter. My 9 month old and toddler loved it.
- Cozy Vegetable Soup
This warm cozy vegetable soup is so satisfying during these cold winter months. It has all the hearty vegetables and leaves you full and warm :) honestly this soup was so easy to make and so quick. I used some frozen veggies and some raw. So its one of those soups of whatever you have on hand you make make it delicious because all of the veggies cook so well together. I love sharing recipes like that, where you can modify to whatever you have. It’s learning how to cook with what you have on hand sometimes instead of just getting recipes off Pinterest because honestly those can get expensive buying all the random ingredients. Which honestly I cook and bake that way a lot, where I just modify to use what I have on hand. servings: A Lot! Ingredient: 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes 1 container chicken broth 2 cups frozen green beans 2 cups frozen peas 1-2 cans of beans of choice (white, red, black, mix) 1 -2 cups of frozen carrots 2 cans corn 2 lbs of red potatoes peeled 1 tsp fresh garlic 2 tsp onion powder 2 tsp salt 2 tsp black pepper 1 tsp garlic powder Directions: Pour everything in one giant pot, cut up potatoes and put in as well then let simmer for an hour. Enjoy with some bread, salad, or eat alone :)
- Best Pumpkin Pie
You guys this pie though...like melt in your mouth soufflé of goodness! I am not a pie artist so beware of the lack of crust art that this pie has. However, it’s even better right because I think your average person isnt looking at entering their pie in the national pie eating contest. One thing I love about motherhood and being a wife is creating that warm and cozy feeling for everyone. I think it comes naturally to most women but we have gift for cultivating a cozy atmosphere and making house into a home. I never even knew until recently I really started finding my style. Everyones style is different and thats what I love is that you look at each other your friends house or their instagram page or there closet and it is uniquely them without even trying because I believe we were all born unique individuals. We get to bring forth that uniqueness to the world and share with others the things that make us...well us. We get to learn from each other and partake in each others own styles. Ingredients 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree 1 1/2 cup of Silk Heavy Whipping Cream (Dairy Free) 3 eggs ( 2 whole and 1 yolk) 2/3 cup brown sugar pinch of salt 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice 1 tsp cinnamon pinch of cardamon 1 tsp ginger 1 tsp nutmeg 1 pie crust (pillsbury refrigerated pie crust) Directions Preheat oven to 425 Mix eggs and sugar first then add in pumpkin, slowly add in heavy whipping cream. Add all spices and salt. Form pie crust around pie pan and pour batter into pie crust. I formed the pie crust on the edges and pressed it down on the pan and then took a fork and pressed it all the way around to give it somewhat of a pie look. Bake for 25 mins. Take pie out and cover edges of crust in aluminum foil (this prevents them from getting to burned) then lower temperature to 350. for another 30 mins. It is done when the center comes out wet on a knife but does not have pumpkin on it. Enjoy :) Should serve 8.
- Target Christmas Decor $10 and under!
Hey guys! I went to target with legacy on Halloween and to my surprise they were stocking their shelves with Christmas decor! Obviously I had to pick some up because I know how fast they go out of stock specifically with their $5 section! Hopefully this inspires you guys on some ideas you can do with your own decor or go run to target and pick up a few things to get the Christmas season started!:) Since last year I have really been into the green and black plaid. I love how it reminds of the fresh pine trees and brings in that rich forest green right into your home. This little tree was only $3! They had so many more options their of trees bigger and smaller ones. These cute little houses were only $5 and they have little fake candles inside of them so they light up through the windows! They are a white matte ceramic so they give off that simple warm Christmas. I plan on putting the little Tree next to these houses on our bookshelf :) These 4 hand towels sing Christmas all season long. They each have a unique Christmas feeling from super festive to simple and cozy. I love that you can pair them together to bring both cozy and festive. 💕 I love that the classic red and green are coming back. As much as I have liked the white Christmas look I still need that bright red and forest green to bring in that Christmas Spirit. Each were $5 for a set! Guys, this cookie jar is sooo precious!! I love that it goes with the other houses I got and the little red words on the side really give it that simple Christmas cookie jar without being like a giant gingerbread man jar on your counter haha! It will go with whatever theme you have and stand out perfectly on its own so you know the kids will still find the cookies haha! Only $5! I had legacy help me with this one. We smelled a lot of candles haha. This gives off a sweet ginger aroma. If you like sweet candles with spice this one will be perfect for you. The gold is gorgeous and classy perfect for a gift or a centerpiece. It was only $10 and its huge! Lastly is this adorable countdown calendar. I love the wood look with the bright green and red colors. It will be so fun for Legacy to help change it out. It also has chalkboard & white board options :)