Friday Faves!!

And just like that friends we are in our last Friday of November!! What in the world!  I hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving and if you are a Black Friday shopper I hope all your shopping dreams came true! 

Here are this weeks Friday Faves :-) 

🌟Kroger Click list ~ oh my land!! Why have I not used this before??!!!  Y’all on Sunday night I put all the things in my Kroger Cart and picked a time for Monday morning to pick them all up.  I left my house at 8 am and was back home by 8:27 am AND I got gas.  This sweet little deal was absolutely AMAZING.  I would say I might never go back in the grocery store again but I know that is a farce LOL.  BUT when my big and tiny humans are on break I will for sure be utilizing this lovely feature Kroger offers.  BONUS points its free during the holidays!!  Winner winner chicken dinner!! If you haven’t given this a try - do it while its free!! 

🌟Behold the Lamb of God by Andrew Peterson ~ friends I have several Advent books and I really do love them all BUT this one is my for realz favorite ever.  I think thats because its one of those books though while its completely relevant for Advent its not exclusively a Christmas book.  This book unfolds the Christmas story in a way that resonates as deeply in June as it does in December.  Its always on my book shelf and I have decided to pick it up and read it (again) along with my SRT Advent.  BONUS ~ there’s a CD with some fantastic music that goes along with it.  Whether you buy this book now in time for Advent or you buy it in March just get it.  We need the gospel ALL the time.  

🌟ELF ~ y’all does any other movie actually exist? I think not! This is probably just my favorite movie of all time. I think I can quote it pretty well.  And truth be told I have already watched it a few times this season.  I feel pretty confident most of you have seen this movie BUT if you have not I’ll keep calm and insist you come over so I can properly indoctrinate you in the code of Elf 😉

This is the last week for our Friday Faves Friend Feature and I of course saved my bestest friend for last … my sweet hubby ~ DP : my prince charming. Here’s what he had to say 

“How about that Dyson thing..” yep that’s exactly what he said ..”I LOVE that thing - it picks up great quick messes.”  So I’ll elaborate for this man of few words over a favorite thing.  First of all its actually called a Shark Wandvac He picked up this little hand held vac from Target and it really does wonders especially when you have messy boys!! We’ve had several friends ask about it - so it really is worth your investment.  Its like the dustbuster of the future.  You can I’m sure find one at your local Target.  And I can testify that he truly does love this little wandvac! 

Well friends I cannot seriously believe that we are ushering in the last month of not just the year but the decade ~ can we say CRAY CRAY!! December is upon us and I hope you take some time to reflect upon this most precious time of year and the GIFT that it is.   

~ ❤️ LeighAnn 

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

🦃 HAPPY THANKSGIVING 🦃

Friends!! Its my most favorite day of the year ever ~ and it goes by so quick ~ ya blink and its over!! I am so incredibly grateful for these people God gave me to do life with - thanks Aunt Melanie for this quick Thanksgiving day pic! This morning we held true to our annual traditions of sausage balls and breakfast casserole while we watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade - a favorite of mine!! Went through the AJC our local paper to check out all the Black Friday deals.  Had framily stop in for a few and I chatted with my family far away by phone. Then we hosted family who lives nearby for dinner this evening.  What a sweet first Thanksgiving in this new home of ours.  Truly so much to be thankful for ... here's my list of 10 for today

🧡 1. The gift of Jesus and the salvation He's extended to me. 

🧡 2. cool weather 

🧡 3. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 😉

🧡 4. my slippers 

🧡 5. comfy pjs 

🧡 6. my dog
🧡 7. snuggles with my littles
🧡 8. double ovens
🧡 9. memories
🧡 10. the gift of time

On that note ~ please take a minute to watch this short clip from Chick-fil-A about the gift of time.

It is my sincere hope that you and yours had a fabulous Thanksgiving Day!! It truly is the most wonderful time of the year!!

~LeighAnn 

Thanksgiving Eve

Happy Thanksgiving Eve!!! Its been a busy day putting up some Christmas decor, prepping in the kitchen and watching a few Christmas movies.  Here are the things I am thankful for today ...


🧡 1. cozy blankets
🧡 2. modern medicine
🧡 3. rain
🧡 4. work
🧡 5. christmas movies
🧡 6. memories
🧡 7. catching up with my sister
🧡 8. the dishwasher
🧡 9. my moms recipes
🧡 10. my apron that my sweet friend Carrie made for me

Happy Thanksgiving eve y'all!
~LeighAnn

Friendsgiving

Friendsgiving is actually a word and here is how it it defined in Websters Dictionary 👇🏼

"Friendsgiving is a mashup of the word “friend” and “thanksgiving” that refers to a large meal among friends eaten during the Thanksgiving season. The level of formality is dependent on the participants, but the word first appeared around 2007 as an informal replacement for the holiday typically spent with family."

For the past few years I have heard about groups of friends hosting a thanksgiving feasts with one another and celebrating my most favorite holiday together.  I think this idea is absolutely precious and I have longed to be able to have my own "friendsgiving" with the people I call my framily.  And for those of you who don't know what framily is those are the friends who become family..  you know the super duper close kind ~ the ones you do life with.

Tonight was FRIENDSGIVING!!! Whoop Whoop 🙌🏼🙌🏼!! My heart is so full of joy and I have much to be thankful for today.  So here's todays ten things I am thankful for....

🧡 1. Friendsgiving
🧡 2. Framily
🧡 3. My house
🧡 4. Holiday decor
🧡 5. vaccum cleaners
🧡 6. taste buds
🧡 7. my workout room
🧡 8. the ability to text
🧡 9. coffee
🧡 10. the ability to feel joy

Y'all I am just not kidding when I say my heart is just overwhelmed.  It is Gods sweet kindness to bing alongside people we get to do life with and I just love the ones HE sent my way.  Happy Friendsgiving y'all! 

An attitude of gratitude...

It's Thanksgiving Week 🦃 🍽 🍁!!! Also known as one of my most favorite weeks of the entire year!! So I thought I would hop on here and each night this week (Lord willing) list out 10 things I am thankful for each day culminating on Thanksgiving Day (did I use that word right?).

While this should be super easy its kind of daunting to me - mainly because I don't want to list the same 10 things everyday.  I have several friends who have followed Ann Voskamps idea of listing out 1000 gifts and I just am in awe of this! Number one what a great idea ... number two - 1000 different things while I know more gifts than this exist in my life -to be able to write them all out without duplicates is inspiring to me.

So while my personality doesn't want to tackle writing out 1000 things right now ( I know my check the box self) I do want to be mindful of just how much - big or small - I have to be grateful for.  So with out further ado here's my 10 things for today ...

💛 1. Literacy (I take for granted the ability to read) 

💛 2. Kroger Click List (more on this in Friday Faves) 

💛 3. Birch Trees 

💛 4. Room Spray (I do have majority boys over here)

💛 5. Search engines (I just learned how to do emojis on my laptop -mind blown)

💛 6. Hot water 

💛 7. Towels 

💛 8. Speech Therapists (this profession is truly a gift!)

💛 9. Microwaves 

💛 10. Sleep 

I am thankful for these gifts God has given me and how each one has played a part in my day today.
Happy Monday friends!

~ LeighAnn

Friday Faves 11-22-2019

Y’all!!!!  My favorite holiday of the year is right around the corner!! Can y’all believe Thanksgiving is next week!! I’m so excited I can hardly stand it.  I hope time slows down a bit so I can enjoy it! 

Here are this weeks Friday faves ❤️

💐Flowers ~ I confess I **used to** (key word there) not really be a huge fan of flower getting because they just die but the older I get the more I seem to l love it.  And I have always loved putting them together and giving them.  This week I got two sets of flowers - WHAT A TREAT!! They were both beautiful and so thoughtful.  I love how God uses dear people in our lives to bring us joy.  

❤️Y’all ~ I may or may not overuse this word - but it is really a favorite and yesterday I found it on a sweatshirt!! Thank you Circa Antiques and Coffee Shop for selling me a delightfully cozy sweatshirt with one of my favorite words.  Friends this pullover is so comfy I could sleep in it - and I might.  I have now worn it two days in a row LOL.  I promise to wash it sometime soon.  

🎄Jamie Ivey’s Holiday Gift Guide ~ friends I look forward to this gift giving guide every year! Not only is Jamie one of my most favorite podcasters she is very intentional in seeking out companies that give back in some way to feature on her gift guide.  It came out today and I can’t wait to read/watch/listen through it for some fabulous ideas for Christmas gifts this year.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.  Here’s a link to see it all https://jamieivey.com/giftguide2019

❤️This weeks Friday Faves Friend feature comes from my friend June Black.  Here is what she had to say 👇🏼

🎙Okay, so this is a little silly, but these little Hello Kitty friends are my Friday Favorite! A very dear friend of mine brought these to Pearl recently. Her daughter is a big deal middle schooler now and doesn’t need them anymore! 😂 Anyway, Pearl is loving them, and I love watching her play with them. She makes the big ones snuggle the little ones, and calls them mamas and babies. She sings little songs to them. It just warms my heart. And it makes me happy that they were well-loved even before they made it to our house. ❤️❤️❤️ So glad to be back in this beautiful community where we can share our lives along with our toys. 😂

That’s all I got for this Friday friends!  Y’all have a great weekend and a Happy Happy Thanksgiving 🦃🍽🍁.  I’ll be living it up with my peeps enjoying the day, watching the parade, and eating all the things.  Truly I have so much to be thankful for ❤️

Tis the Season friends,

~LeighAnn 

Friday Favorites 11~15~19

Happy rainy day Friday friends!! We are halfway through November and I cannot believe it!! This is my favorite month and I need it to slow down!! EEK!!  Here are this weeks Friday faves! 

🔥Garage ~ y’all it had been a super hot minute since I have had a garage to park my car in.  With the crazy cold weather we have had this week plus all the rain - this sweet garage has been very much appreciated.  

🔥Fresh Market ~ if you have not been to this little store - its a gem - mainly because it reminds me of NYC. I can go in this  market and buy absolutely nothing and still leave satisfied.  However they have the best pimento cheese ever - so usually thats what brings me in there.  It just has that city feel and really when I am there my mind goes straight to NYC and well NYC is a definite favorite of mine.  So if you haven’t been to this little market - go check it out - it has ALL the things plus ALL the feels! 

🔥Wood burning fire place ~ I confess at my last house I had a gas log fire place and turning it on was easy peasy.  Plus no clean up etc etc.  Well at the new casa we don’t have gas and it turns out I LOVE it.  We had our first fire in the fireplace this week and it was so warm and cozy feeling.  Just the best really, and perfect for the weather we have been having here lately.  I am looking forward to another cozy overdosey (thats for you my popcast friend listeners) evening in front of the fireplace with my peeps tonight! 

💕This weeks Friday faves friend feature is from my dear dear friend Nicole Gilreath.

Here’s what she had to say ~

I’ve never been more tempted to start decorating for Christmas early ( I usually wait until the day after Thanksgiving) but diffusing these oils are helping me make it through 🤣! The Holly and Pine one makes it smell 💯 like I have a real Christmas tree up 🙌🙌🙌🙌🌲🎄

Well peeps thats all I’ve got for this edition of Friday favorites!! Y’all stay warm and dry and Happy weekending!! 

❤️LA 

a little of this and a little of that ....

#writeforthirty  - well I made it a whole 7 days in a row and then came the weekend!! Somehow I knew this might have been a challenge where I bit off more than I could chew.  But to be honest it led me to pick up this blog writing gig again so I am going to call that a win.  I don't even know if people even read blogs anymore and I confess I could easily get caught up on the numbers - you know the stats - who liked this post, are there any comments, how many people read it? This is a danger that I want to be very aware of because I do not wish to seek validation in blog writing or social media posting - its a trap that I don't want to be caught it.  So I am going to rewrite this challenge.  I do want to blog for 30 days but not consecutively and if it takes longer or shorter than 30 minutes than so be it.  If I don't even accomplish this all in the rest of 2019 - its OK!! I had to remind myself why I started this blog in the first place and here's the deal.  I started because I want to remember those things with my kids that I wasn't putting in the baby book,  I wanted a place to come back and reminisce over where we had been and where we are going, I wanted to write down recipes I knew I loved and would forget. I wanted to write about things that were HARD and how God was growing me in those.  I wanted to write about fun crafts or ideas I had.  Friends - I just wanted to write all the things LOL. A journal so to speak...  Sooooo... whether you read or not,  I will write - because in writing and reading back - I am always reminded of Gods faithfulness in all the things - and remembering HIS faithfulness causes me to give HIM glory and that is never a bad thing and always does the heart good.  

Now for todays post I want to share a recipe.  I don't know about you but one of the things I LOVE to do for my family is fix them a meal.  Now this is rather humorous in that I am not the BEST of cooks.  God gave me a husband who was in the food industry on purpose friends.  BUT regardless of my talent in the kitchen - there is something so super sweet about feeding my people and sitting around the dinner table all together.  I mean it just makes my heart happy.  

One of the things I do struggle with is finding meals that are super healthy that we all like.  I have plenty of recipes in my arsenal that are along the lines of the comfort food realm.  But lets face it these recipes are not exactly figure friendly and at the ripe of old age of 40 where metabolism just ceased to exist well this is something to consider.  So that't the act I am trying to balance these days because I really love it when they all love something I have whipped up - I mean what mom doesn't enjoy this feat!  Tonights meal is both comfort and fit for the most part.  I am going to call it EZ One Pot Slow Cooker Beef Roast :-)  My favorite part was that I did this all in ONE pot! And I got my chuck roast on sale this week at Kroger. Win Win! So here's what I did ... its not rocket science :-) but if you are anything like me - you will be appreciative that its written down somewhere LOL 

2 lbs of beef chuck roast 

1 sweet onion cut into chunks 

1 bag baby carrots 

baby red potatoes - cut up  (I used about a pound and a half - a little over 2 cups cut) 

Savory Pot Roast Crock Pot seasoning mix

1 cup water 

rosemary sprigs 

First I took a little butter in my everyday rock crock and seared my roast on the stove top.  It probably took 5-7 minutes per side.  I haven't done that before but everyone says that it really helps keep the flavoring in.  When I say everyone I mean my friends who are actually good cooks LOL.  Then I dumped the onion, red potatoes, and carrots on top of the roast.  Mixed the seasoning into a cup of water and dumped that on top of roast and veggies.  Added a few sprigs of rosemary and waa laa (is that spelled right? - but you get the drift - excitment) ...  Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4.  I feel as if this will be a winner.  Regardless I will be at the table at home with all my people gathered around - my favorite people on the planet.  That is the win win.  

That's all for today folks.  I'll see ya when I see ya! 

~LA 

Friday Faves

#writeforthirty day 7 - i am going to conveniently let my Friday faves count as my writings on Fridays.  Enjoy :-)

Happy Friday night y’all!! Maybe you are cozied up on the couch watching a fun movie with your family or maybe you're freezing your face off cheering on your favorite high school football team (Go Wildcats) whatever the case maybe I hope your day was full!  Here are this weeks Friday Faves ~Late night edition!! Hey, hey, hey, hey 🎵 

🥰 Impromptu date days ~ yesterday was just one of those days for me and my DP.  We had breakfast at one of our favorite local coffee shops and then spent the day together just doing stuff.  It has been a busy season adulting, parenting you know all the things.  God was so kind to give us this much needed unexpected day together.  I love that husband of mine and there is just no one I would rather do life with.  

🎵 King of Kings ~ I heard this song this week for the first time and it has been on repeat for me.  These words speak to me 

“To redeem the whole creation, You did not despise the cross

For even in Your suffering, You saw to the other side

Knowing this was our salvation. Jesus for our sake You died

Praise the Father, praise the Son Praise the Spirit, three in one. God of glory, Majesty, Praise forever to the King of Kings”  

You can listen to it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TL_3CPWXwcQ

🎙TGC podcast Eternal Outlook for Everyday Life by Gloria Furman ~ I don’t know what I can say about this podcast except that I listened to it 4 times. 3 times in one day. It just so happens that it is packed full of passages from my favorite book of the Bible.  And of course in God’s sovereignty it was timely.  I took copious notes. Here’s the link : https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/podcasts/tgc-podcast/gloria-furman-eternal-outlook-everyday-life/

😊This weeks Friday Faves Friend Feature comes from my dear friend Ashley Faglie. Enjoy 👇🏼

"My Glossier cloud paint blush! 😍 It looks super natural (*not supernatural) and doesn’t have any sparkle to it (which is good bc sparkly blushes just make me look greasy). Also, hello cute oil paint tube. 😂😍"

Night Y’all! 😊

Not according to my plans..

#writeforthirty day 6

Do you ever have those days that don't go anything like you had planned for them to?

Of course you do - you're human.

Today was one of those days for me - and you know what its just fine - because some parts to the day were the best ever - better than the plans I had laid out and well some parts of it were harder - and I of course would not prefer to write hard parts in my day.

Here I am at the end of the day and you can be sure that it has not taken me 30 minutes to write this - maybe not even 10 - but what I know to be absolutely true - is that God did know about this day and not one minute of it took Him by surprise - the good and hard.  HE is sovereign in all things.

Charles Spurgeon once said "the Sovereignty of God is the pillow upon which you lay your head." ~ I rest in that.

Some much needed reminders from Colossians

#writeforthirty day 5

I am a pretty big fan of podcasts and one day maybe I will do a post on some of my faves but today I want to share some thoughts from a podcast that a friend sent to me earlier this week to give a listen to before we had our book club tomorrow night.  She thought it would be a nice "dovetail to our discussion on identity/eternal perspective" which is kind of what our book is covering.  Well this podcast did not disappoint.  Y'all I listened to it 4 times.  Yes you read that right.  Once last night and three times today.  I took copious notes.  The podcast found on The Gospel Coalition is called Eternal Outlook for Everyday Life by Gloria Furman.  And it just so happens its all about my favorite book of the Bible - Colossians.

Here are my takeaways ... praying even now as I write that you might be encouraged by these truths from Colossians.

In this day and age where our culture struggles with identity and looking to find what defines us this was a SOLID reminder of just exactly who I am and why having an eternal perspective even in the everyday ordinary is so vital. 

We are not living in much different times from the people in Colossae.  The Colossians were being threatened by false teachers.  These teachers were saying being in Christ just wasn't enough - you needed some extra stuff.  You aren't reaching your full potential and the riches and full assurance and understanding in the knowledge of God's mystery unless you are buying what the false teachers are selling.  The worst part is their diluted arguments were plausible, believable.  Colossians 2 says these teachings even have an appearance of wisdom!! Can you think of any extra fluff going around the world today that you could see yourself buying into?  I'ts out there.  How can we know what is really wise and what just looks like wisdom? Furman says we must have an eternal perspective.  We have to desperately know and understand our union with Jesus - who we are in Christ so that we can have a heavenly minded perspective to see the reality of our earthly lives.  

So what's the first thing that comes to my mind when I think about my life - is it that I am in Christ?
Colossians 3:3 says 

"For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God."  

That's me!! My life is hidden with Christ in God.  Milton Vincent in The Gospel Primer says "being in Christ is the one great permanent circumstance in your life." So while I might live in different places, have different jobs, whether I have got my roots dug deep, or I am looking to plant my roots being in Christ is a permanent circumstance.  I will still be in Christ 40 trillion years from now.  

We live in a world that focuses lots on individualism and individualism makes being in Christ hard to understand.  We easily forget who we are in Christ.  We have all felt that empty ache, lonliness etc  - the problem lies in what we do with those empty feelings - I confess I often try to fill it with stuff that doesn't matter.  I don't always remember Col. 3:3 that my life is hidden in with Christ in God and who  it is this I am in hidden in... here comes my favorite part... this, this is who my life is in.  Colossians 1:15-20 says 

"HE is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by HIM all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things were created through HIM and for HIM.  And HE is before all things, and in HIM all things hold together.  And HE is the head of the body, the church.  HE is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything HE might be preeminent.  For in HIM all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through HIM to reconcile to HIMSELF all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of HIS cross."

I just LOVE that part of Colossians! This tells me who Christ is and what He is doing keeping the cosmos together, saving me!  And the circumstances that come and go in my life are all a part of His plan to hasten the day of His coming! 

It is really tempting to see our lives defined by our earthly circumstances - the temporary things.  We need reminders from Colossians because the ins and outs of everyday life are right in front of our faces. In suffering AND in prosperity if we remind ourselves of these truths it will be much harder to be taken captive by the false teachings of the world. 

Whatever I'm feeling defined to - this life is not all there is.  God has put eternity in the hearts of men.  

There is a battle for the mind. We have to do the HARD work of remembering our life is hidden with Christ in God AND "when Christ who is your life appears then you also will appear with HIM in glory" (Col 3:4) The fun part of that is we will be raised in glory with the Colossians people! 

We have to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly (Col. 3:16) and then SLOWLY over time we will live like people who's lives are hidden with Christ in God setting our minds on things above because we are new creations living out our ordinary lives with a heavenly perspective because Jesus walked right out of that grave!  

Help us Lord - to remember who we are and whose we are.