Black Friday Blessing

Sweater - JHCollectibles $4

So anyone that really knows me knows that I absolutely love thrifting or rummaging in second-hand stores, and I have a really good knack for finding good quality stuff for free or cheap. I LOVE it! I have always enjoyed garage sales, flea markets, and thrift stores such as Goodwill, Value Village, and small boutiques and shops. In fact, whenever I travel, whether business or pleasure, I try to always make a point of looking up the local thrift shops, consignments stores, boutiques etc. I have come home with all sorts of treasures such as clothes, shoes, jewelry, furniture and such. I like having a piece in my house or closet that reminds me of a trip, place, or adventure that I had the pleasure of experiencing.

J Crew sweater - $4

Now you may be thinking "Is she a hoarder?" No absolutely not! I have a policy..."Stuff in, stuff out." You GOT to have some balance or else we will see an 18 wheeler backed up to your house and the TV show "Hoarders" filming at your place...Not going to happen here! I like a little bit of order and space around me (mostly) although my home office could use a little bit of work...That's another story.

Anyway as far as Black Friday is concerned I have never felt the need to get up early in the morning at "0dark-Thirty," wait in line, and wade through a sea of humanity. But hey, if that works for you, more power to you! Enjoy! As for me, Value Village was the extent of my Black Friday shopping...I arrived at the late hour of 1:30p.m... Just right for me. I was looking forward to a relaxing couple of hours browsing and hanging out with "me." They were having a 50% off sale so I was excited to search for a few pieces for myself.

LOVE this dress! Chicos - $7

However this was no ordinary shopping spree. After being in the store for a while I ran into a good friend of mine. This lady has an amazing sense of style. The funny thing was, she kept finding items that were perfect for me. She would bring them over and say, "Here, try this on.This looks like it would fit you." And it did every time!! I felt like I had my own personal shopper with me. Sometimes it's good to have someone else shop for you because they pick out clothing and styles that you would not have picked out. Here is the cool thing: Not only did she pick out amazing stuff, but she paid for it! I asked why? Her simple answer, "This is fun and I wanted to bless you!" Really! You had fun and I am the one taking a HUGE bag of goodies home! Okay, works for me!

Tommy Hilfiger $5

But seriously folks, I was so touched and blessed by her thoughtfulness...And did I mentioned that these items were high-end pieces...Ralph Lauren, The Limited, Ann Taylor Loft, Tommy Hilfiger, J Crew etc...God loves to bless us in all kind of cool ways, right! And He knows just what I like. 

But the story doesn't end there...This is such a great example of how when we bless others, God makes sure that we are taken care of. He blesses us right back. This friend that blessed me so much went to work the next day and had a friend dump a HUGE blessing on her! She was so excited and could not wait to tell me...We laughed and talked about the goodness of God and how He blesses us and gives us the desire to bless others...I love this life in Him. I love that He is into everything that I am into...shopping, clothes, shoes, friendships, whatever. It's not only the spiritual things that He cares about, but every part of your and my life is important to Him. I hope that you know that is true for you also.

Ralph Lauren $4

Check out the pictures of some of the items that I found...You will see me wearing some of them in my upcoming posts...I will be sure and point them out to you...It makes my day when I find beautiful clothing at great prices in the thrift store...Can't wait to wear these!Doesn't take much to make me happy!

Bisou Bisou $4

Make sure that you take the time to enjoy your Holidays
Sandra

Do you love thrifting? I would love to hear about your adventures...Leave a comment!

Lined Worthington Pencil Skirt $4

Grass and soil??

Here's to your health! Drink up!

HaHa...It's amazing the funny things people say when they see or hear about a "Green Smoothie." This weekend I had some good friends of mine over for dinner. We got to talking about healthy eating...I mentioned to them how I have a Green Smoothie almost everyday and how much better I feel plus I have dropped a few pounds. (You know that I am so glad about that and thanking Jesus)! You should have seen the looks on their faces because they just knew that Green Smoothies must taste horrible and aweful. So I set out to prove them wrong! I decided after dinner that I would make them one of my best smoothies...They were having Ice Cream and I would have smoothie for dessert and give them a taste.

It was hilarious...My friends later told me that they were not looking forward to it but were gonna try it 'for me.' They were sure that it would taste like "grass and soil" and they planned on saving their Ice Cream to use as a 'chaser' to wash the horrible taste of my smoothie out of their mouth!! How funny is that! Needless to say once I convinced them to taste it, they LOVED it and would never have imagined that spinach and kale could taste so good.
 


This grass and soil taste really good!!!

And you won't believe it either until you try it...So that's my challenge to you: Try a good green health smoothie...It's great for your health, complexion, energy, well being, etc...What other reason do you need to try it?:) Go for it!! You will need a good blender to mix it up well...

I made a believer out of her!

 So here is my personal recipe for my Breakfast Smoothie (although you can drink any time of day)
1 cup of Carrot Juice
Splash of Pomegrante Juice
2 Handfuls of Spinach
1-2 leaves of Kale (Collards are also good)
1/2 or more frozen Banana
Handful of frozen Strawberries (or any kind of frozen berries, pineapple, mango, etc...mix it up)
1 apple or orange

Optional...Flaxseed, nuts, water, few pieces of frozen brocolli or cucumber...experiment)

You will totally love this smoothie and the energy that it gives you...

Health in a glass! I love it!

Enjoy as you drink your way to better health!
Sandra

Leave a comment and let me know if you try it!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Well I hope that you had a great Thanksgiving with good food and loved ones! It was great at our house...We had family and good friends over to share food, games, and even a good nap!

When I am cooking my Thanksgiving Dinner I always love to put on Christmas music or watch a Hallmark Christmas movie...Okay yes I admitt it...I am a total sapp...I love feel good movies with a good ending...And I love the spirit of love and joy that is so tangible during the Holidays...My husband David prepared a Cajun Fried Turkey...Umm umm good is all I can say! That was my Thanksgiving splurge...



As I have said before, I am from the south (where we fry and put gravy on everything) and come from a family that loves to cook and enjoy food. I still love good food but I am learning that it has to be healthy AND good...Not just good! Years ago I would cook all kinds of rich, creamy, high calorie, high carb foods for my Thanksgiving meal; but now my meal is still great but with less high fat and high carb foods and more simple veggies and fruits. It took a change in my thinking but it's happening. Here is my Thanksgiving menu:

Fried Turkey
Seasoned Green Beans
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Kiwi and Spinach Salad
Asian Noodle Salad
Stuffing
Fruit Salad
Sweet Potato Pie


Anyway it's all about being thankful to God and recognizing the blessings all around us...No matter where you are or what your circumstances are, keep enjoying your holidays!!

Sandra


 Tell me, how did you celebrate your Thanksgiving and what's your favorite Thanksgiving recipe or memory...I would love to know! Leave a comment below...

Thanks for visiting!

Get Happy about this!

Surely God's goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life; And I will live in the house of the Lord Forever.

(Psalm 23:6)

 
In my time with the Lord this morning I got stuck on the awesomeness (don't know if that is really a word or if I spelled it right):) of this scripture! It just hit me like a LIGHTNING BOLT! His goodness and mercy is ALWAYS following me...How cool and powerful is that! No matter what is going on in my life...No matter what season of life I find myself in...HIS goodness and mercy is following me. WHY? To do me good...Not to do me bad or to punish me for my sins and mistakes...But to do me good and to have mercy (compassion) on me...I LOVE it!! Now that is a reason to have joy today, right?

Makes me wanna smile and rejoice!

It's the same for you...No matter where you are or what season YOU are in...God's goodness and mercy is following you to do you GOOD...Come on! We can all use some of that...

Meditate on that today and receive it into your life...If you look for HIS goodness and mercy in your life...You'll surely find it somewhere... 

Sandra

Leave a comment below

Holiday Healthy Eating Challenge

You know how you always find yourself on the other side of Christmas, after New Years with a few pounds more than when you started. You know what I am talking about, "Holiday weight gain." Well at least that is what happens on my end! I hate it...And sometimes those pounds are pretty stubborn at taking a hike. In fact some of them have been my constant companion for a few years, which is not good. Well this year I decided to do something more then just wish that I wouldn't gain weigh or lose my mind and overeat everything in site! Come on! I will feel so much better if you tell me that you have done the same thing...Anyway this year I decided to be proactive.



My Breakfast Green Smoothie

Last year I discovered an amazing book called "Eat To Live" written by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. I love this book because it is not some crazy fad diet but great information on food, and it's effect on the body, good and bad, and how to use food to heal your body and bring it to it's proper weight. As I said I love this book and have learned so much from it and have implemented many of his suggestions in my life.

So, getting back to the holiday weight gain thing, every year Dr. Fuhrman initiates what's called the "Holiday Healthy Eating Challenge." Instead of over-indulging on too much sugary, fat-laden, unhealthy foods I do the opposite and focus on eating as much healthy, nutrient rich fruits and veggies as possible. (Now you see why it is called a "challenge" in the middle of the holiday season!) But honestly it is not a big challenge for me. (I can't believe that I just said that! Miracles do happen). The reason being that for the past few months my eating syle has changed. I started eating and making more nutrient dense foods and recipes earlier in the year and my appetite is totally changing. I haven't eaten sugary desserts for awhile and I am not...More about that in another post. The challenge goes from November 19 - Jan 8. I am really excited about it...My breakfast is usually a green smoothie with a combination of fruits, spinach and kale etc mixed in my vitamix...My lunch is usually some sort of bean salad with a combination of any salad fixings and beans on top...My dinner is usually a huge green salad with fruit or a delicious veggie soup or veggie casserole...

My Black Bean Salad

So stick with me as I continue this challenge and feel free to join me if it works for you...

Disclaimer: I am not in anyway in the medical field. I am just sharing what I find that works for me...Check with your doctor before starting any sort of eating or exercise program.

Leave me a comment below...

Happy Eating!
Sandra

My Kiwi Salad and Salsa

Sunday fun

Well it's a rainy chilly day here in the Great Northwest. Up here we call it 'liquid sunshine.' And yes it really does rain about 9 months out of the year. But I LOVE IT HERE!! When the sun comes out it really puts on a delightful and beautiful treat for us, making up for all of the rain drenched days...and the great thing about people in the Northwest is we never let the rain STOP US! (Well actually I just adopted that attitude once I moved here). I realized that if I waited for the rain to go away before doing anything, I would never do anything!! Can't have that!

And that leads me into an excellent Joy Nugget: If you wait for the "rain" (family issues, money problems, trouble, heartache, pain etc) to go away before deciding to be happy and enjoy life, you will spend a huge part of your life waiting instead of living. It is possible to be happy and enjoy yourself even during "the storms of life." Don't wait on perfect conditions. Find some joy today in spite of it all!

On another note my sweet husband decided he would take us to a movie. Great idea! Unfortunately the one that we wanted to see was sold out. Bummer. So it was a great opportunity to do a little shopping since we just happen to be at the mall. We had a great time together and David found himself a great spot to wait as I shopped. I hope that you also enjoyed your day and make sure that you're not waiting on the rain to stop! You know what I mean!!

Leave a comment below and let me know that you are not going to wait on the rain to stop before enjoying your life!

Blessings
Sandra

I really like the color of this Tunic, but I left it here on the rack!

David and his IPhone keeping each other company while I browse. He is a good 'waiter.'

Flashback 2012 - Wyoming Trip



We took a drive over to Jackson Hole. Beautiful!!

Okay so I just had a really great idea...Since I started this blog last year in November but didn't share any of "Life 2012" I thought that I would do a recap of last year and call it "Flashback 2012." I have about 6 weeks before the end of the year to share some adventures from this year. So I better get started!  Here's the first.


One thing that I love to do is travel, and my profession provides great opportunity for that. I am a Bible Teacher/Conference Speaker. One of my greatest passions and source of fulfilment is sharing God's Word with people, encouraging them to believe in this awesome God and in themselves. Earlier this year in May my husband David and I took a trip to Riverton, WY where we spoke at a weekend conference with a friend. What a blessed time we had!

I love meeting new people and taking in new scenery. We saw The Grand Tetons, a beautiful mountain range, and visited the park by the same name. Whenever I travel away to speak I always try and make sure to have a day to play, take in some sites, and do a little thrifting. (I can't tell you how much I enjoy rummaging in 2nd hand stores looking for treasures, clothes, and something unique to bring home).

Here is a joy nugget for you:


If you happen to travel in your line of work, try to make every trip memorable. Do fun stuff, enjoy the beauty of the hotel where you are staying, check out a unique restaurant, take in a show, take a walk downtown or in a beautiful park. Really find something to enjoy about the area. (This is of course if it's not against your company's policy). Anyway, take care of business and make it a great trip!

Enjoy your Life
Sandra














 

 

Picking up right where I left off!



Okay here I am again starting resuming this blog. It's been about a year since I posted anything. Right after I started it, I decided that I wasn't quite ready. Now I feel like I am ready to do it and I am excited about the journey and sharing lots of "fun stuff" on here. (At least I hope so) I debated on deleting my previous posts since there were so few, then I could just start all fresh and new. But I think that I am going to leave it, and just pick up where I left off. It's all part of this 'blog journey.' And hopefully I can grow and learn to keep up with it with minimal neligance. Pray for me because I will surely need it!



I love the colors of Fall...Beautiful!

Now on to other things...I love this time of year! I have began planning my Thanksgiving meal. It will be delicious but mostly healthy. Lots of fruits and veggies and as few processd foods as possible. I began a few years ago paying more attention to the health of my receipes. Even though it's the Holidays and a great time for parties, dinners, and special treats, I still want to keep an eye on health. I will tell you later about a Holiday Challenge that I have entered. So have a great time and enjoy the season but stay healthy!

Here are a couple of great Fall pictures from my morning walks (taken a while back)...Enjoy

Sandra


Our God is so creative...



Nothing like a morning walk to get your day going!