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Instagram post 2175255409191675299_6369173406 The more grateful I am, the more beauty I see.” – Mary Davis⁣ ⁣ This quote speaks so much truth. I remember when my daughter was a baby, and she was choking, I had to give her back thrusts to dislodge a foreign body out of her airway. I will never forget that moment. Everything was in slow motion, and I couldn’t even find my cell phone that was in plain sight because I was so focused on getting my daughter to stop choking. For what seemed like forever (it was only a few minutes), my daughter kept struggling despite my back thrusts so I ran to the neighbor’s house and had them call 911 for me. Despite being an ER nurse, and knowing what to do, I knew that enough time had elapsed where my daughter was struggling and I needed backup. Between the time it took for me to get to my neighbor’s house, my daughter dislodged the item that was obstructing her airway and started crying (crying is great a sign that an airway is clear).⁣ ⁣ I remember calling my mother-in-law after that and I remember her saying “this is one of those moments after which the sun seems a littler brighter, the grass a little greener, and the sky a little bluer.” She was right. I was so incredibly thankful that my baby girl was ok.⁣ ⁣ I’ve been writing in a gratitude journal in the morning semi-regularly, and it feels like nothing can go wrong the days when I start with a grateful heart.⁣ ⁣ What are some things you are thankful for? . . . . . . . . Follow me on the LIKEtoKNOW.it shopping app to get the product details for this look and others http://liketk.it/2GNKz #liketkit @liketoknow.it #LTKhome #LTKfamily #LTKunder50 @liketoknow.it.home @liketoknow.it.family
Instagram post 2172324747425880361_6369173406 I love when pomegranates are in season because that means I can make pomegranate salsa! My mother-in-law made the first batch I ever had, and I’ve been hooked ever since! I don’t typically measure the ingredients when I make the salsa, so here are approximate measurements of what I use: ⁣ ⁣ Super simple pomegranate salsa recipe:⁣ 2 medium pomegranates deseeded⁣ 1-2 tablespoons olive oil⁣ Lime juice (to taste, usually closer to a whole lime) 1/2 bunch cilantro⁣ Red onion chopped (I use about 1/4-1/2 of the red onion)⁣ Cumin, salt and pepper to taste⁣ If you want some spice add some chopped jalapeño or serrano pepper⁣ ⁣ A special thank you to @ybbaperiot for reaching out with her pomegranate hack. I had previously talked about how deseeding a pomegranate is a labor of love, and Abby shared her hack with me. Cut the pomegranate in half, hold it over a bowl filled with cool water and hit it with a large, heavy kitchen spoon, and voila! The seeds sink to the bottom, almost everything else floats to the top! It comes out 10x quicker than my previous method!!!⁣ ⁣ Anyone else love pomegranates? What do you make with them?
Instagram post 2170021792119170887_6369173406 51 more days until Christmas! If you are saving for Christmas, I have created a new freebie for you! A Christmas savings tracker to help you reach your goal. Click the link in my bio to download the new savings tracker and for gift ideas, and things to remember to budget for this holiday season.⁣ ⁣ If you haven’t started saving, don’t fear…you still have time to save and grab great deals! I would start by writing down a list of who you will be purchasing gifts for, what is your budget per person, tally that up and now you have a starting point for how much you need to save.⁣ ⁣ Something else to consider are all the other things to budget for: kid’s school parties, gifts for teachers, holiday gift exchanges with groups of friends or family, decorations, food that you will be bringing to the holiday parties, and maybe sponsoring a kid or family in need.⁣ ⁣ This year we are going to continue to incorporate more experiences as gifts. While this requires lots of thought, I find they are the most memorable by far! ⁣ ⁣ What’s your favorite thing about this time of year? #debtfreecollective #debtfreecommunity
Instagram post 2167301245572695676_6369173406 Elsa costume: $3 from a garage sale I bought earlier this year⁣ Princess Leia: $21 on Mercari including the wig⁣ Olaf: $23 on sale at @kohls and we will be repurposing this for our Polar Express Trip⁣ Stormtrooper: the exact same costume my son wore last year! ⁣ ⁣ We decided to dress up in pairs this year. Lots of fun, candy, and friends! ⁣ ⁣ Side note: I had fun dressing up as Princess Leia! May the force be with you, and happy Halloween!
Instagram post 2166329311729011145_6369173406 I love an easy DIY! For the longest time after our renovation, my husband would ask me if we were ever going to put up family pictures in the house. After looking at lots of beautiful gallery wall ideas, I decided to make our own! This is how we did it:⁣ ⁣ We purchased our frames from Michael’s. I have linked some very minimal ones in the @liketoknow.it app. You can sign up for their emails and receive coupons, or simply check their website for deals and coupons. They currently have a 40% off one regular price items online that is valid through 11/2.⁣ ⁣ The matting is from Hobby Lobby. I purchased them in February and paid $45.26 for all three. I would make sure you pick out the exact color you want. I said I wanted “white” matting without looking at the one they were going to use, and it ended up being more yellow than I hoped. ⁣ ⁣ I purchased the prints from @costco online. Their prices are excellent for big prints, and I love the lustre finish. ⁣ ⁣ My frames aren’t quite 24 x 36, but I should shoot for a frame size close to that. I think that minimal frames look great, just beware that they can be a little bit challenging to hang depending on how sturdy they are. The stronger the frame, the easier it is.⁣ ⁣ Do you enjoy doing little DIY projects? . . . . . . #liketkit http://liketk.it/2GmBM Follow me on the LIKEtoKNOW.it shopping app to get the product details for this look and others #LTKhome #LTKsalealert #LTKunder100 @liketoknow.it.home @liketoknow.it.family
Instagram post 2162768571642232650_6369173406 I want my children growing up with a healthy understanding of finances, and what it means to be a good steward of their money.⁣ ⁣ What does this look like for us?⁣ ⁣ *Being mindful about the way we speak about money and the words we use. For example, instead of saying “we can never afford that” we simply ask “Is it in the budget?” ⁣ *Teaching our kids a very simple budget. Every week we tally how much money they have in their “spend”, “save”, and “give” budget categories. ⁣ *We teach them that in order for this family to work properly, every member has certain “family contributions.” Every week, the children have “family contributions” they are responsible for. Things like setting the table, clearing the dishes, doing their beds, cleaning up their room. These things are expected of them.⁣ *Hard work will get you farther. When the kids work really hard, do things above and beyond what we expect, or take on more “family contribution” responsibility, they have the opportunity to earn more money. ⁣ *We entrust them with money to learn mistakes now, when the consequences are minimal. In order to teach our kids how to manage money, we have decided to give them a few dollars every week. When they are given the money, they are first expected to put some of that money into our “give” envelope, and “save” envelope. We use @daveramsey clear envelopes so that the niños can see their money accruing in the “save” and “give” categories. After several months, the niños both learned a big lesson when they decided, on their own, to save their “spend” money to purchase something of greater value (up to that point, they were notorious for living paycheck to paycheck.) ⁣ *Teaching the children to be thankful for what they have. I want the kids to know that no item will ever make them “feel” happy if they aren’t happy inside. I love the quote: “Gratitude turns what we have into enough.” The niños need to be able to discern that true joy comes from a thankful heart.⁣ ⁣ What is something you want to teach your kids about money? #debtfreecollective

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Subscribe to my New Youtube Account!!!!

June 30, 2018June 30, 2018 by Lauren

I finally did it!!! I threw all fears and anxiety out the window and did my first video on Youtube.  It’s about a few of our DIY kitchen cabinet hacks.  The funny thing is that…

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Easy and Delicious Blueberry Cream Cheese Pound Cake-Kid Approved

May 17, 2018June 26, 2018 by Lauren

I was in a crunch, and needed to make a birthday cake for my son. He requested a blueberry cake, and I cringed. I had never made a blueberry cake before, where would I begin…

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Write a comment Posted in Desserts, Food, Hosting, Momlife, Recipes

Friday Favorites

April 20, 2018 by Lauren

I started this week with a bang by getting food poisoning somehow. My husband was working while I was sick, but my 4-year-old-son definitely stepped into his role of man of the house. Not only…

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Friday Favorites

April 13, 2018April 14, 2018 by Lauren

I can’t believe it’s Friday already! Does anyone else feel like this week zoomed by? Holy smokes! To say that this week was eventful would be an understatement! From a trip to the OBGYN (everyone’s…

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13 Beautiful Laundry and Storage Baskets For Your Home

April 8, 2018April 10, 2018 by Lauren

The idea for this post came as a special request from my friend Jess who is in the market to purchase a basket. I love the idea that a Laundry Basket can look beautiful, maybe…

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About Me

Hi! I'm Lauren: ER registered nurse, wife, mama to 2 little ones. I'm passionate about design (I designed our entire home remodel), budgets (my husband and I paid off $266k of debt in 33 months), food, and travel. Follow along to get tips, ideas, and inspiration!

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