Total Truth Thursday | Free Vent: My Baby Isn't Spoiled

Welcome to our fourth Total Truth Thursday! Kelsea and I started this link-up in hopes that it will be successful in creating a safe environment for us to share our opinions, beliefs, and thoughts- however strong, against-the-grain, mainstream, or out there they are! If this is the first time you’re hearing about Total Truth Thursdays, head back to this post and catch up on what it’s all about!

Before we dive in and link up, there are a few things that you need to know: 

1 // You can find the list of topics for each week HERE.    

2 // Kindness is key.Whether you follow the topics for each week or come up with something on your own, please remember that others may or may not agree with you, and you may or may not agree with them! Disagreements are natural, passionate opinions are welcomed, and constructive feedback is fine. However, we won’t put up with rudeness, ugliness, or name-calling. Just be nice! 

3 // To link-up, please follow Hey Kelsea Rae & These Moments Called Life on Bloglovin’ or GFC and copy and paste the button code to your post somewhere! We are so excited to get started!

Today’s topic is FREE VENT!

Everyone knows the situation. You are in the grocery store, and someone walks beside you, says "Oh what a cute baby you have", then tries to talk to your baby. Insert baby talk and que the crying and shying away of said baby. Following this comes the comment "oh someone is sure spoiled on mama."

Let's address this shall we. This has happened to me numerous times. It may be a stranger or a friend I haven't seen in years.  

Sometimes, he smiles back and will wave. Sometimes, he turns his face and cries. If the latter happens, HE IS NOT SPOILED ON HIS MOTHER, this is a natural reaction to a STRANGER folks.

I cannot stand people saying it is because he is spoiled, spoiled has nothing to do with it. As adults, we can be friendly and polite to people we don't know. It's common courtesy. To a toddler, talking and communicating is a pretty "intimate" thing, it's still new to them. They have no idea what common courtesy is. If they feel comfortable, they will smile and talk back, if they don't , they won't. Pretty simple huh?

I understand it is so cute and sweet when your toddler is friendly to anyone and everyone, Little A has days like this where he will just chat up the cashier at Kroger. But the fact of the matter is he is his OWN person, he has his own feelings, his own level of comfort, and he has a choice to communicate or not. I can encourage him to say hi back, and most of the time I do, to let him know "mommy said it's ok for me to talk to this person". 

I will make absolutely NO apologies for him shying away or even crying. If that's how he feels, that is fine. When he is older, we will teach him how to be polite and say hello, but I wouldn't ask my child to do something he is uncomfortable with. That's just not fair. 

I think far too often, adults can forget that babies aren't just robots waiting to be programmed to exactly how we want them. Of course it is our duty to "train a child up in the way he should go" (Provers 22:6), teach them manners, and what is safe and what is not. It's a responsibility not to be taken lightly. What we forget is, they are a person too. WIth feelings, opinions, likes and dislikes. You respect your husbands opinion on things, why not your child's too? Obviously there are times Little A doesn't want to eat his vegetables and asks for cookies, in those times, I have acknowledged his opinion, but in his best interest, dismissed it. 

See what I'm getting at? We don't always have to do what our kids want, but we better at least acknowledge it and respect the fact that they have an opinion. If we don't, we are teaching them to be selfish and careless.

So if you meet me in public and my child cries, don't take it personal. He needs a little time to warm up to new people. Just smile, let him know you are friendly, and walk away happy that he is capable of having his own thoughts. 

P.S.- Aren't these Kroger buggies awesome?

Ever had this happen to you and received the same reaction? What are your thoughts on this topic?

Alright, it’s your turn! Grab the button below and link up your Total Truth! Also, use the hashtag #totaltruththursdays to share on Instagram and Twitter!

My Monday | Mall, Miles, Date Night, Skunk, and Cookies

Everyone just hates Mondays. Poor Monday. I love Mondays, only because I am a stay at home mom and Monday isn't really a whole lot different than say Thursday.

Now that I have shared my sympathy and thoughts on Monday, let's get to it.

Today was awesome. Little A has been sleeping until 9 AM for a few weeks now (hey daylight savings) and it gives me plenty of quiet time in the morning. Today, once he woke, we got dressed and ready and headed out the door. We had some exchanges to make at the mall which lead to me finding a killer deal on some black khakis for Mr. J.

The next item on the agenda was the gym. I had an awesome run. Like a "your normal speed is 7.2, why not 7.7 today" kind of run.

I surprised Mr. J with a date night. I got the sitter set up, picked out our activity (Chik-fil-a and "God's Not Dead = AMAZING movie), and we headed out to enjoy some time together. It was splendid. When we first started dating, we went to the movies practically every weekend. Every time we go, it brings back the memories of us when we first became "us". I love that man.

Upon arriving home from date night, we discovered our little fur baby sitting on the porch. When we pulled up, we both said "ew, smell that?" Charlie was the victim of a skunk hate crime. Mr. J scrubbed away and he is now smelling clean and resting from the traumatic experience. Our air purifier is going full blast hoping to eliminate the odor that sticks in the air. I used to think the little family of skunks living under our shed were cute, not so much anymore.

To make a totally random Monday even better, let me share a delicious, gluten free, vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe. Thanks to Lauren at LaurenBrimley.blogspot.com. Check her out, she posts amazing clean, whole food recipes, including toddler meals.

Ingredients:

2 very ripe bananas

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup almond butter

2 cup rolled oats

chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Mix everything together, you may need to add more oats to get the right texture, you want a wet dough consistency. Spoon onto baking sheet and form cookie shape. Bake for 10 minutes. Enjoy!

These cookies are simply wonderful and guilt free. 

Total Truth Thursday| Social Media: Unplug

Welcome to our third Total Truth Thursday! Kirstin and I started this link-up in hopes that it will be successful in creating a safe environment for us to share our opinions, beliefs, and thoughts- however strong, against-the-grain, mainstream, or out there they are! If this is the first time you’re hearing about Total Truth Thursdays, head back to this post and catch up on what it’s all about!

Before we dive in and link up, there are a few things that you need to know:
1 // You can find the list of topics for each week HERE.   

2 // Kindness is key.Whether you follow the topics for each week or come up with something on your own, please remember that others may or may not agree with you, and you may or may not agree with them! Disagreements are natural, passionate opinions are welcomed, and constructive feedback is fine. However, we won’t put up with rudeness, ugliness, or name-calling. Just be nice! 

3 // To link-up, please follow Hey Kelsea Rae & These Moments Called Life on Bloglovin’ or GFC and copy and paste the button code to your post somewhere! We are so excited to get started!

Today’s topic is SOCIAL MEDIA!

I have a love hate relationship with social media. I love feeling connected in the day-to-day stuff of my out of state relatives, friends who have moved, and people I don't get to see as often and I would like. I hate the drama and the inevitable time wasted spent on it.

I never spent tons of time on facebook until I became a stay at home mom. I think it was due to just being at home, and longing for a little adult interaction and communication. A lot of the times, when I was bored or lonely, I would hop on the computer to feel connected and "in the loop". 

I joined the smart phone era WAY late, like this past Christmas, and to be honest, I was a little nervous to do so. Having the option to be so plugged in kind of scared me. I knew it would be harder to unplug having it at my finger tips. 

Well lo and behold, it was insane for a while. I spent SO much time on my phone figuring it out, picking out cool apps, instagram (yay), and facebook. I would usually be on it if Little A was playing in the floor or distracted with something else. One day, he was playing, I was browsing Facebook, and I glanced down at him to see him staring at me signing "please". My child had been sitting there (for how long, I don't know) asking me to come play and I hadn't even noticed. It absolutely devastated me. 10 years from now, will I remember that awesome thing I saw on Facebook, or the time Little A and I played cars for an hour? You don't have to be a genius to figure out it's the latter. 

It can be tough on days you feel lonely, bored, or just like you've been stuck in the house watching "Cars" everyday. But try unplugging for a whole day, NO social media. I have tried a few times and it can be tough at first, but it feels wonderful.  Your life feels a little less chaotic without knowing everything about everyone. 

I keep my phone up during the day. I have it on loud so I can answer texts and calls but I don't grab it to browse unless Little A is asleep. I will not lose time with him so I can scan a newsfeed. 

Need a little more motivation to unplug, check out this post written by Tonya at "4 Little Fergusons". 

Photo credit goes to Tonya Ferguson at "4 Little Fergusons"

If you feel lonely or in need of a little communication, try talking to Jesus, He is always there loves. 

Recipe Round Up

I am always on the hunt to find new, clean, recipes. I try to cook at least 2 new recipes a week to keep things interesting. I wanted to share a few of my favorites.

Having recently discovered I have an intolerance to gluten has really made me branch out in my cooking. I used to be so nervous in the kitchen and feel so out of place. Now cooking is one of my favorite things to do. Half the time, I don't even use "official" measurements, just dashes and pinches. My OCD self can relax in the kitchen. 

Remember, I am NOT a food blogger, so I don't have eloquent, perfect pictures, just iPhone pics.

Clean eating shrimp scampi (Gluten free)

I used to above recipe with some changes. The shrimp I used weren't frozen so to get enough broth, I added 1.5 tbsp of butter (don't be afraid to use REAL butter ladies). I also used gluten free pasta noodles.

This was DELICOUS, Mr. J loved it too!

Citrus Grilled Chicken 

If you aren't familiar with "The Gracious Pantry" yet, please go check it out!

This chicken was very good, I love a good pan fried chicken recipe. Next time, I will marinate it over night to have a little more flavor.

Asian Marinated Salmon

Mr. J is not a big fan of salmon or tilapia (boo), so I have to really knock it out of the park. This had TONS of flavor, it was delicious. The fresh dill really made it. 

Quinoa with Cherry Tomatoes

I LOVE LOVE LOVE quinoa. It is so versatile and the nutritional facts are amazing. This recipe was good, had good flavor and was loved by my boys. 

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Probably the best GF cookie recipe I have found thus far. These were chewy with perfect texture. 

What clean recipes have you been trying lately?

Total Truth Thursday| Fashion: Style Pressure

Welcome to our second Total Truth Thursday! Kelsea and I started this link-up in hopes that it will be successful in creating a safe environment for us to share our opinions, beliefs, and thoughts- however strong, against-the-grain, mainstream, or out there they are! If this is the first time you’re hearing about Total Truth Thursdays, head back to this post and catch up on what it’s all about!

Before we dive in and link up, there are a few things that you need to know:
1 // You can find the list of topics for each week HERE.   

2 // Kindness is key.Whether you follow the topics for each week or come up with something on your own, please remember that others may or may not agree with you, and you may or may not agree with them! Disagreements are natural, passionate opinions are welcomed, and constructive feedback is fine. However, we won’t put up with rudeness, ugliness, or name-calling. Just be nice! 

3 // To link-up, please follow Hey Kelsea Rae & These Moments Called Life on Bloglovin’ or GFC and copy and paste the button code to your post somewhere! We are so excited to get started!

Today’s topic is FASHION!

We often hear the question "What's your style? Boho, chic, edgy, preppy?" My answer, none of the above. I fit into NONE of the typical categories of style labels.

In high school, I shopped at the typical places, American Eagle and Hollister mainly. Then I became a wife less than a month after graduating. I remember going to a doctor appointment and the receptionist asking me if I brought my mom because I couldn't be seen without an adult present. I told her I was 18 and married, she didn't believe me at all. After that, I started thinking I needed to dress more "grown up".

I had Little A when I was 20, and that feeling of needing to look more grown up multiplied times a million. I would get stressed out about getting dressed because I wanted people to take me seriously. I was so afraid they would think I was a young, incapable, irresponsible mother.

Now don't get me wrong, I never dressed like a grandma, but I definitely put pressure on myself to try to appear older than I actually was.

No matter what outfit I had on, the facts were the same. I was freshly 20, a mother, stay at home wife, fully capable, responsible, and down right dedicated to doing my best for my family. I could be all of that and wear what ever the heck I wanted.

Once I realized this fact (sadly it took me a while), I felt freedom from the expectation that as a mom, I had to look a certain way. I don't have to prove myself to be a good mom to anyone. My son knows it and that's what matters. I've seen plenty of moms who have beautiful clothes and appear to be have it all together, but watching them for 5 minutes proves a little different. 

Appearances don't make the mama folks. I love clothes and shopping. I love putting together outfits with fun pieces of jewelry (although I'm not as fashion savy as I wish). I enjoy it so much more now that I wear what I want and without the extra pressure. 

I don't have a style type, I wear what I like, what I think is cute and functional and there are no apologies for that.

Christmas 2 years ago, chunky cardigans my favorite for fall and winter

Currently

43 days until I put all this studying to work and take the exam !

eating | tortilla chips & salsa
drinking | water 
practicing | breaking Little A of his binkie

mastering | Babysitting 2 of my 3 nieces, chaos management pro (only kidding)

learning |  how to fit my gym time into extremely crazy weeks
listening | Switchfoot's new CD

watching | Mr. J clean our washing machine, keeper for sure!

finishing | laundry, or is it ever finished?
reading | My  GFI (group fitness instructor) certification book
wearing |  gym clothes
cooking | clean eating Shrimp Scampi 
working | on my running, really trying to build my endurance
traveling | nothing on the agenda 
wanting | a house in the country, chickens included

Total Truth Thursday| Marriage: Why I Hate Pinterest

Welcome to our very first Total Truth Thursday! Kelsea and I are so excited to be starting this link-up and hope that it will be successful in creating a safe environment for us to share our opinions, beliefs, and thoughts- however strong, against-the-grain, mainstream, or out there they are! If this is the first time you’re hearing about Total Truth Thursdays, head back to this post and catch up on what it’s all about! 

Before we dive in and link up, there are a few things that you need to know: 

1 // You can find the list of topics for each week HERE.   

2 // Kindness is key.Whether you follow the topics for each week or come up with something on your own, please remember that others may or may not agree with you, and you may or may not agree with them! Disagreements are natural, passionate opinions are welcomed, and constructive feedback is fine. However, we won’t put up with rudeness, ugliness, or name-calling. Just be nice! 

3 // To link-up, please follow Hey Kelsea Rae & These Moments Called Life on Bloglovin’ or GFC and copy and paste the button code to your post somewhere! We are so excited to get started! 

Today’s topic is MARRIAGE!

Before we dive in, let me clarify on my title. I LOVE Pinterest. I have discovered so many awesome recipes, home decorating ideas, organizing tips, and fashion ideas. What I mean by my title is simply this, I believe Pinterest has women more focused on planning the perfect wedding rather than focusing on preparing our hearts for marriage. 

 Being that I got married just 2 months after high school, you can imagine our wedding budget was small. Our wedding wasn't lavish to say the least, we didn't have an expensive caterer, outstanding venue, or 4 foot tall floral arrangements. What our wedding lacked in "frills", was compensated with love. My wedding was perfect to me. And our parents weren't in debt after!

 Your wedding is at the top of the list of "most important days of your lives", but I have to say, I personally believe our divorce rates would drop if couples spent more time preparing their hearts and minds for marriage instead of investing it all on the wedding. 

 Your wedding day is only 24 hours. Your marriage's lifespan is much much more. The year or months leading up to your special day should be spent in deep thought and prayer. Marriage is a beautiful union of 2 becoming one. You can imagine that comes with some bumps and bruises along the way. I am so thankful Mr. J and I did marriage counseling which prompted many long talks and discussions. I'm glad we took time to pray together lots throughout our engagement about our life as a married couple. Don't you think marriages would be in much better condition if in the wedding budget, there was a slot for counseling, or marriage conference fees? 

 I am in no way telling you not to have the wedding of your dreams, all I am saying is invest some time preparing the foundation. A rushed, neglected foundation leads to instability. I remember vividly our marriage counseling, the truths we learned, what the Bible has to say about marriage, what my role as a wife is to look like. I think about those things often. I wish somewhere in Proverbs 31, there was a verse that said "And she shall be given chocolate as a reward for holding her tongue." Can I just get an amen there. Seriously, showing grace and forgiveness is super hard when you fall into the toilet in the middle of the night because someone, cough cough, left the seat up....again! 

 If you are a seasoned bride and never took the time to spiritually and emotionally prepare for marriage, it's NOT TOO LATE!! You have tons of resources available. Ask your Pastor if he would be willing to do a little marriage counseling with you, after all "Fireproof doesn't mean the fire will never come. It means when the fire comes that you will be able to withstand it." (IF you haven't already, go watch Fireproof) There are so many great books, even work books you can go through together. Talk to an older couple who have been together for 50+ years, you know they have some good advice. 

 Let's invest our hearts in the upkeep of our marriages, invest time in your spouse. Treat them like your hunk, not just the co-parent of your child. Remember y'all, our kids will get their idea of what marriage looks like by our example, are you showing them it's fun, so full of love, and only gets stronger, or are you showing them a naggy, miserable, "team" of people who just happen to be raising kids together? 

 Go give your guy a kiss, have fun, and enjoy each other. Marriage is a gift ladies, it isn't without hiccups but in the end, those hard times draw us closer to each other and closer to the Lord.

Alright, it’s your turn! Grab the button below and link up your Total Truth!

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