Our Move West.

It was March of 2011. We had been married almost a year and were headed off to California in pursuit of our dreams. We left behind our hometown of Orlando, Florida. Leaving our jobs, family, comfort, and everything familiar to us. We were three parts excited and one part terrified. But we were ready. We were full of faith and trusted this was part of God’s plan for us. We were excited to go on an adventure & build a new life for ourselves. 

At times the path was unclear, and our faith tested. As we headed West, just as we were driving out of the state of Florida, Ryan got a text from the friends we were supposed to crash with for a week or so until we found our own place. Plans had changed and we could no longer stay there. What now? We thought. Do we turn around? We can’t waste all of our savings staying in a hotel. 

Within minutes, out of nowhere, we received a text message from a new friend, Monty Kelso. We were introduced to him by a mutual friend & met him a month prior when we were in LA scouting for apartments. He had no idea of our living arrangements but sent us a text saying “I’m not sure if you guys have a place to crash but I talked to my wife and you’re welcome to stay with us for a week or so.” We read this and tears filled our eyes. This was exactly what we needed at the exact moment we needed it. We barely knew this family. We had only met Monty once & had never even met his wife, and yet they were willing to take us in. We changed our GPS to their home address in San Clemente and continued driving.

A strong friendship with the Kelso family emerged, and they became our “West Coast Family” as we call it. We immediately developed a sense of family, and community, which helped us have a smoother transition into life in California. 

After a few weeks we landed an apartment up in LA and began to get settled in. Neither of us had jobs nailed down at that point and were both searching for the right opportunity. One weekend we were down in San Clemente visiting with the Kelsos. Monty had forgotten that he had made plans to meet with his friend, Todd, for coffee. So he had Todd just come over to the house to meet. Ryan and I were there hanging out in our PJs. Turns out Todd was the Pastor of a church called Mountain View and they were looking for a new worship leader. Coincidence? I think not. The next weekend Ryan was brought in to lead their Palm Sunday service, and was hired as full time staff a few weeks after that. It’s been such a blessing being apart of this church community and seeing my husband grow into such a strong leader. Now it is so obvious that this was a huge part of God’s plan all along.

It’s still a little mind boggling how it all came to be. If our original plan hadn’t failed we would’ve never stayed with the Kelso family. We might never had become as close to them as we are now. We wouldn’t have met Todd that fateful afternoon, and everything might be entirely different. It wasn’t always easy, but we trusted God and he showed us the way. He provided for us and made a way for us. As Todd’s daughter, Rachel, recently wrote, We live in a world that says “God, just show me and I will go” but we have a God that says “just go and I will show you.” That really rings true in our story. And had we never taken those first steps, we never would have gotten to where we are today.

Moving to California was one of the bravest and best decisions we ever made. A journey that brought us closer to each other and closer to God. There have been struggles: we have been lonely at times and have missed family to the point of tears. But overall it has been so rewarding and we know we are exactly where we are supposed to be. ♥  

Paleo Shepherds Pie

Ah, shepherds pie! Comfort food’s finest. I love this healthier Paleo version. I made it for the first time last week and it was so good I made it for dinner again last night. It’s so tasty, but I can enjoy it guilt-free! And cauliflower “mashed potatoes” are my new obsession. Seriously. I could eat them at every meal.

You can find the recipe I used here. I don’t have those cute ramekins she uses (note to self: buy some) so I did an 8X11 inch casserole dish. I also used lean ground turkey instead of beef, topped it with green onion instead of parsley, and added a little bit of shredded cheddar on top (we allow a little bit of dairy). The result was fantastic and this will definitely be a go-to meal for us! Enjoy!

A Quiet Morning.

It was 6:45 a.m. and both of my babes were upstairs sound asleep. I don’t normally wake up a minute earlier than I have to, but after waking early to feed the baby I decided to stay up. I put her back to sleep, and quietly tiptoed downstairs. I put on a pot of coffee and made myself breakfast. An actual breakfast. I sat at my kitchen table and ate my breakfast alone,  in the quiet. I was tempted to turn on the news or put on some music. But instead I sat there silently, basking in the solitude. I love mornings with my sweet loves… but there was something really nice about having the morning to myself. I took the time to savor every sip of my coffee, while reading a few chapters in my Bible. 

It was such a lovely way to start the day. I would love to get into the habit of doing it often, but sleeping longer is always so irresistible. But I think I may try to do it at least a few times a week. To have balance and time for myself. 

It’s a beautiful day. I hope you enjoy it. 

With Love, 

Monika

Consignment/Resale Shopping

Oh how I love darling little baby girl clothes. I could very easily spend a fortune buying my daughter cute new outfits & shoes (I’m obsessed with baby shoes. Even though she kicks them off in about two seconds!). She grows so quickly, and goes through about 2-3 outfits a day, so clothes are definitely a must. But I just can’t justify spending a fortune on clothes that will be spit up on, pooped on, and quickly outgrown. BUT, of course I still want her to look adorable. So, I meet in the middle and I buy most of her clothes at resale stores. This works well since the hubs and I are on a budget and trying to stick to our Dave Ramsey debt snowball. I have to be smart and budget- conscious. Trendy clothes at budget-friendly prices are a definite win in my book. 

See that picture above? I bought all of those clothes for a total of $62.49. Thats: 6 pairs of shorts // 5 tops // 3 pairs of pants //1 romper // 1 dress 

Most of the items looked brand new, maybe worn once or twice. And many of them still had tags on them. So baby gets several new outfits and mama doesn’t have to have buyer’s remorse. Score!

Below I’ve listed a few tips for consignment shopping for your little one. 

5 Tips For Consignment Shopping:

1. Give yourself time. Good finds are out there, but they require the time & patience it takes to find them. 95% of the clothes at consignment stores may be outdated and not very cute. But gems do exist. Fabulous, stylish, cheap little gems.  Tap into your inner hunter-gatherer and scour those racks!
2. Look up consignment shops in the nice, upscale areas on town. If I have the time, I drive the 20 minutes to the fancier neighborhood and find better brands and clothes. Most of which have never been worn and still have tags on, or are very gently used.
3. Search out clothes from your favorite stores. I love the style of clothes at Baby Gap, Zara, H&M, Cotton On… So I search out those brands & styles specifically. Finding cute pieces at a more wallet-friendly price.
4. Sign up for shop email lists to be the first to know what sales are happening. Sometimes they’ll even send you coupons! One time I went to a weekend 99 cent sale and got a whole bag of clothes for Eveleigh for $20. I got an email the week of the sale, and went the first night before everything was picked over. I scored big that night, even getting a Baby Gap peacoat for 99 Cents!
5. Go alone. While as a mom this is challenging and not always feasible… It is easier to shop alone for obvious reasons. Fewer distractions = more focus. Plus, it’s good for you mamas to take a little hour to yourself here & there! 

Happy Shopping! 

       ^^Eveleigh in one of her new outfits!^^

Getting Fit: Week 2 Update

           

So last week, after an incident in Target, I began Jillian Michael’s 30 Days to Shred. The first week went pretty well. It’s great that I can easily do them at home while the baby is napping or playing nearby. There was only one day where she got fussy in the middle of my workout and I had to stop and finish it later. The main struggle was that my ankles were really achy & sore from a run I went on the week before. So some of the moves were challenging and I felt like an 80 year old. The first workout was definitely the hardest. Even though I exercised throughout most of my pregnancy, I still felt so out of shape. I struggled to finish, but when I did, it felt really good. As the week went on the workouts became easier & easier and I felt my endurance lengthening. I think in a few days I will move up to level two of the program. 

It’s been a struggle to eat healthier. I’m breastfeeding and so I am just so hungry. All. The. Time. Being so ravenous sometimes, just want something quick & easy. Also, coming up with healthy meals has proven to be more challenging than before. All of my go-to foods (veggies, salads, etc) make the baby a little gassy & uncomfortable. So I have to get a little more creative. But I am trying! 

I’m also making sure to keep my motivations in check. While I do want to lose a few lingering pounds and fit better into my cloths, that’s not what it’s all about. The most important thing is to be healthy. I want to exercise and eat well so I have the energy & stamina to make it through long days. So I can feel my best to give my best each day.