Weekend Wrap-Up

Man, y'all. This weekend was a purdy one...sunshine and blue skies! 

On Saturday, Jeff and I got to play "parents" and watch my precious niece for the day. 

Meet Brooklyn Kate. She's two and a half. And all kinds of ready for Hollywood.

[Disclaimer: There will be lots of park photos to come. But that's okay. Cause she's cute.]

We kicked off the park day with some sliding. That girl loves to slide. 

And then I realized he did too. And I suddenly had two children.

We did some climbin....

And some steppin...

And some swingin....

P.S. - the swings. There were three different "ages" of swings. Jeff and I got a bit stressed about which one to put her in. She kept telling us she was old enough for the big girl swing, but we just weren't sure. Every time I pushed the swing I held my breath, and Jeff stood on the other side ready to catch her if she let go. She said higher, we said no thanks. Amateurs. 

And then it was off to the "sandbox" - commonly known as the volleyball court. Less the volleyball players.

Chasing each other..She always knows Jeff's "gonna get her" :)

We then walked over to the pond to watch all the turtles. Jeff captured this sweet picture...

Then Brookie just leaned over and gave me a hug. Love my sweet girl :)

Here's the thing. This park is right next to a set of train tracks and the trains (often) choo-choo their way past. Brooklyn doesn't like the whistles. Too loud. So I ran to the bathroom while J and B went back to the playground, and when I heard the whistles, I walked out to this...

Dang whistles.

 We left the park and headed to Chick-Fil-A for lunch, and as all good aunts do - I made sure the afternoon ended with ice cream! (Don't worry, Jeff got one too)

 Jeff and I had to run some errands on the way home, and when we pulled into the driveway and turned off the music, we heard soft snores from the back seat...

#success

All in all it was a great (and exhausting) afternoon. Props to all you parents out there who do this on a daily basis. She's just the sweetest thing to babysit. So polite, so laid-back, and just cute as a bug. It was a day of three big smiles, that's for sure. OH - and Jeff and I have worked on our renditions of "The Itsy Bitsy Spider," "Wheels on the Bus," and the "ABCs" if anyone wondered. Shamefully those were the only three nursery songs we could remember. So we sang them over and over and over....

All about to go down the slide together!

I love these two.

And that's your weekend wrap-up!

Until next time,
Katy

Thoughts for Thursday: Tithe your Time

I love writing. Obviously. I started a blog. Before this one I had a cancer-related blog. Before that one I had yet another blog. I just love writing. Public speaking? Eh, I could do without it. I just have one of those minds that ponders a topic and automatically starts determining how to mold it into sentences, paragraphs, and ultimately into something that people want to read. 

I'm telling you. I love numbers, but I should have been an English major. 

Sometimes I have things on my heart that I want to share. They don't have a theme and don't have fun pictures. They're just words. But I want to write them. They're my Thoughts for Thursday. 

All during January and February, the pastor at our church did a series on tithing. Do not be alarmed. This is not where I Bible thump you into tithing. The series really spoke to me and I started tithing and personally am overjoyed about it - but that's not what I'm writing about today. If you would like to hear the tithing series, click here. What I'm talking about is tithing your time. 

For those of you that have been here a while, you know that one of my resolutions was to re-implement a quiet time. Well. I am here to tell you that we are at the end of March and I have yet to master this goal of mine. The intentions were there, but so was the busy. And the physical demands of the world somehow always was louder than the tug on my heart. It has been frustrating. I wake up with every intention of some quiet time with my Lord, and then bam. I'm in the car, halfway to work, and kicking myself. Figuratively. Kicking oneself whilst driving is not safe. 

The day continues and I tell myself, okay okay, you'll just set aside some time tonight. Problem solved. Then there's horrible traffic on the ride home, you walk the dog, make some dinner, work out, prepare for the next day, crawl in bed, say "Dear God," and pass out. Every. Time.

Now don't get me wrong, the good Lord and I chat on a regular basis during the day. But I want to discipline myself to sit down with His word and a devotional and dig in. Make it about Him. Less about me. 

You may be wondering how on earth this relates to tithing. Well, during the sermon series, the preacher kept emphasizing giving your "first-fruits," or the first 10% of your paycheck, and that the importance of it being the "first" really mattered. Giving the first slice of your paycheck back to God shows that you're trusting Him enough to make ends meet with the remaining 90%. Similarly, that money is God's money. Not yours. Don't be a thief. Don't steal God's money. 

So throughout the month of March the theme of "first-fruits" kept ringing in my ear. Don't steal God's time, Katy. God is currently getting only the leftovers of my time. And more often than not, there aren't any leftovers. I firmly believe that God's "door" is open 24/7, but for me, I needed to give the first "10%" of my day in order to have that alone time with Him. 

When I wake up, my eyes ferociously blink because they don't want to open, so I grab my phone and look at social media until I'm "awake." I am literally waking up with the world. Instead of grabbing my phone, I can grab my Bible and devotional and wake up with the Lord. God is greater than social media. God deserves more than my leftovers. I shouldn't have to "squeeze" Him in. He certainly doesn't just squeeze me in. 

So that's what has been on my heart recently. Those are my Thoughts for Thursday. 

Until next time,
Katy

Linking up here and here

Weekend Wrap-Up

Friday rolls around, you're excited, then you blink, and it's Monday. You'd think we'd get used to it, but no. We are never fully prepared for a Monday morning. 

So - let's live in the past and revisit the weekend. You know, the mature thing to do.

My team at work decided to branch out in the world of team building activity....

Have you ever heard of bubble soccer?

Okay guys, I'm not an athlete. Far from it actually, but this was one of the coolest things I've ever done. You literally run around in giant inflatable bubbles and knock each other over. So it's basically the world's best anger management tactic. Does it hurt? Nah. You bounce. 

And then end up like this...

Seriously, y'all. I would recommend this to anyone. I was laughing so incredibly hard. People were stopping just to watch and laugh. We drew quite a crowd.

Char was confused. Mom doesn't normally hang out in bubbles.

How I spent the majority of the game. .....on my head. #easytarget

If you want something different for your next event, this is it. One of the coolest experiences. And quite the workout. Warning: you will feel like you have severe whiplash the next day. But yes it's still worth it.

Team Bubble

Post bubbles, we got to surprise and celebrate one of my bestest friends this weekend! She's a leap year baby, and the snow days messed up her actually dinner, so her sweet hubs rescheduled a surprise dinner! Love love these sweet friends.

Saturday, we saw green. Soooo much green. St. Patty's day is a HUGE deal in Dallas, and one of my favorite days. It's like one big reunion. I see so many people I haven't seen in ages. All friends from all different groups come together in the name of the Irish. 

We hosted our third annual St. Patty's Day brunch to kick things off before taking a (rather chilly) stroll to the Greenville area to see what the crazies were up to. 

Some of the girls! ...and a couple of the boys.

Love these ladies! And their men :)

Because when else can you get away with oversized glasses and a tiny green hat?

And that's a wrap! Five more days until we get to do it again, folks. But don't live for the weekends. Each and every day has a positive, you just have to be willing to see it :)

Have a great week!!

Until next time,
Katy

Friday Favorites!

Another week down means another Friday of Favorites! 

1. SNOW DAYS! 

Some of you may be over the snowpocalypse, but I'm not. We have plenty of warm sunny days here in Texas, so I'll take what I can get. I personally have grown accustomed to falling asleep to sleet hitting my window and waking up to a white wonderland. I feel so.....northern. 

Char Man is still getting used to it. I think he likes snow, but stepping on ice and falling through to ice cold water is not his favorite. But he sure is pretty in it :)

I didn't go grocery shopping on Sunday so the lack of food in the house meant I had to venture out. Luckily, we live within walking distance of a lot of restaurants. I walked slid around until I reached an open (and empty) Potbelly. Ordered a warm sandwich and cup of soup, got to the checkout station, and heard the words "can I also get an oreo milkshake?" coming out of my mouth. No joke. 

So, yep, I was the girl trudging through snow in 28 degree weather sipping on a milkshake. You say crazy. I say dedicated. 

2. Daily Greens Juice

 So speaking of milkshakes, I love drinking my vegetables. I love eating them, too, but drinking cold-pressed veggies is much easier. And I really like the taste! I've tried a lot of different brands, but I've decided my favorite is the Daily Greens brand. They're SO good. They have six different flavors and they're all titled fun things like "renew," or "rejuvenate." Names that make your innards feel good :)

They were developed by a young mom who survived breast cancer and started this business. The proof is in the ingredients: the juice of the veggies. Yes, Kelsey has a juicer and yes I probably could make my own, but this is just easier. I'm paying for convenience. They're about $6/bottle (which is much cheaper than other brands I've tried), and to me, totally worth it.

3. Friday Night Lights

If you read my post on Tuesday, you know this is my newfound guilty pleasure. I can't stop, y'all. It's so good. And perfect timing for all these crazy snow days. Probably another reason I don't mind being cooped up. I get to be cooped up with Tim Riggins :)

Clear Eyes. Full Hearts. Can't Lose. 

4. Coconut Oil

My skin gets ridiculously dry in the winter, and this week has been really rough. I'm notorious for scalding hot showers/baths, and that's not really good for your skin. But, alas, I do it anyways. Earlier this week, I took a shower, put on lotion, and my skin was so dry it legitimately started burning.  So, I busted out the coconut oil. 

Most people have this in their pantry, but I have this in my bathroom. If you have dry skin - this stuff is a lifesaver. It's a solid when you scoop it out, but when it touches your body heat it melts into an oil. Cool (and weird), huh? Granted, when you first put it on, you will feel like a greased pig. It takes a good half hour to sink into your skin. But when it does? Oh glory be. Due to the 'greased pig' affect, I would use this in the morning and let it sink in while you're getting ready. I'm serious y'all. I so love this stuff.

5. Monkey Bread

More in line with the milkshake and less in line with the green juice, if you didn't see my post on this yesterday, you've got to try this recipe. Why? Because it's cheap, easy, and I haven't found someone yet who hasn't loved it. (Of no credit to my own, it's just that scrumptious!)

And that's all I got! Have a wonderful weekend and stay warm everyone! And for those of you in Dallas, it travels up to the 70s this time next week. Hang in there - a reprieve is coming soon!

Until next time,
Katy



Linking up here

Monkey Bread

It's simple. It's $5. And it's absurdly delicious.

It's called Monkey Bread.

Now, I grew up with this stuff, but when I offered to bring it as my contribution to one of my friends' bridal shower, I got questionable responses. And rightfully so - the name makes no sense. It's a glorified gooey coffee cake. It has nothing to do with monkeys.  

This is my go-to recipe for any breakfast/brunch occasion. It's easy to throw together and hard to mess up.  The majority of the ingredients you'll already have at your house, and the few items you might not have cost about $5 at the grocery store. Could you ask for much more?

OH you could. Because you can "prep" the bread the night before, and just pop it in the oven when you wake up. It bakes while you primp and sip your coffee, and then bam. You're ready to go. 

I originally used the Pioneer Woman's recipe found here, but altered it a smidge (just used less butter and sugar!) :)

So here's the game plan:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Grease your bundt pan.

Gather the following ingredients:

2 cans of biscuits - I'm a flaky Grands girl, myself
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Cinnamon - 2 teaspoons

Brown Sugar - 1/2 cup
Butter -  1 and 1/4 sticks

Ready for the easy peasy recipe?

Quarter your biscuits and throw them into a bowl

Throw in the sugar/cinnamon and make sure the biscuit pieces are coated

Throw the sugared dough in the bundt pan

Heat the butter and stir in the brown sugar
Pour the buttery sugar (mmm..) over the sugared dough

Bake at 350 for approximately 35 minutes

Remove from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes

 Flip it over

Be amazed

Seriously people. It's so good. I took it to work the other day and the team went bananas! (See what I did there? Monkey bread? Bananas?!) Okay then. Enjoy!

Until next time,
Katy

..so it's March.

Well, that's that. I survived yet another busy season. Aaaaaand it's March. January and February were just a blur. A fast and furious blur. 

We filed last week and I had FOUR days to recover. Do you know what a girl does with four whole days after working her life away for two months? ...nothing. 

She does absolutely nothing.

My immediate to-do after we signed off was my bed. For 24 hours. My goal was bed sores, people. I had a ridiculously full DVR and all the time in the world to take care of it. I had blue bell for breakfast. I had blue bell for dinner. All from my bed. 

Then Friday morning I set off for Beaumont to retrieve the pup and have a little more R&R at the parentals.

Being reunited with my sweet boy :)

What did I do all weekend, you ask?

I binge watched Friday Night Lights. 

HOW am I just now watching this? About a year ago, my friend Melissa told me it was such a Katy show, and ever since, anyone I talk to who finds out I haven't watched it freaks out a little bit. 

And rightly so. Holy Tim Riggins. At first I was all "ew, greasy dirty monkey" and then about one episode in I was all "please marry me." But as dead sexy as Riggins is, I have a serious soft spot for Matt Saracen. Every time he gets flustered I want to hug him. I have a huge soft spot for the underdog. OH and I want to be Connie Britton. So there's that. 

Y'all, I've watched 15 episodes in 3 days I just can't get enough. It was a serious inner struggle on whether or not to close netflix and open up this blog. 

Moving on.... so there's no place like home. I woke up at my parents' house Saturday morning, walked in my bathroom, and lo and behold. This was waiting for me.

It's like a coffee shop oasis. I think it's safe to say where my coffee addiction comes from..

And since one cup is never enough, this sweet man and I went and grabbed breakfast and just talked about life. It doesn't get much better than this man right here.

PS he thought he looked really good in this picture

Pretty sure I came home and watched another episode of FNL, and then me and pops started on a project. Over Thanksgiving weekend, Jeff's mom took me to Canton Trade Days for the first time. We don't need to talk about how much money I spent that weekend, but more importantly, I found something I really wanted and new my dad could make it. SO - I designed, he built, and this was the result:

Isn't it precious? The welcome sign I bought at Canton, but I didn't want to spend what they were asking on the post. So I had my dad build me one! I'm obsessed. The "BU" is interchangeable with all sorts of designs for the different months (i.e., a snowman for January, hearts for February, etc.). I love a good welcome sign :)

Pretty sure I watched another episode while the paint dried...

Then it was time for baking with Susie. Y'all, my mom is the best baker. Growing up, people would call her and ask her to bake things for various occasions, and anytime she showed up with a cake plate in hand people would rant and rave. My friends would come over to my house..just to eat the goodies my mom had lying around the kitchen. It's my goal to be that type of mom. I want to be the reason all my friends' kids are fat. Okay not really. But I do hope to be just half the baker my mama is!

Well...and this is always a nice perk of baking.

One more exciting weekend event...I made a purchase. A big purchase. A bucket list purchase. I bought tickets to the 50th Annual American Country Music Awards in Dallas. YES I DID.  Am I insane? Maybe so. But it's a once in a lifetime experience that I just had to be a part of. I mean, they probably won't let me take the stage, and I probably won't get to walk the red carpet, but who the heck cares. I'm going to the ACMs.

All in all - a fantastic weekend. And y'all - I can't tell you how excited I am to have my life back again. I can finally start my 2015 resolutions! Working out, guitar lessons, actually seeing and hanging out with my friends? Can't even handle it. So stinking pumped.

Have a fantastic week!!

Until next time,
Katy