We’ll look at this I have another new hobby! When will I have the time?
So a friend from my church Bible Art Journaling(and frankly her Bible is gorgeous!!!) And she introduced me to it and roped me into an art event my church is hosting next month. Yikes! I will be giving a 15 minute presentation on how to do Art Journaling with your kiddos as part of your devotions to a projected 100 people… Only slightly nervous.
Hebrews 6
So what is Art Journaling?? Glad you asked! It is exactly what it sounds like. Taking something you learned in your Bible Study and transforming into Art!
Genesis 22
Obviously I love water colors so that’s primarily what I use, but you can use any medium you’d like! The church event is going to cover how to inductively study the Bible and then give you examples on how to express that throw art. To the glory of God and the encouragement and beautification of those around you.
I Thessalonians 1
It’s only slightly addicting as you can tell. And it amazing how once you start looking at what you’re learning as a device to meditate and shape the Scripture into “masterpieces”. (I use the term loosely for my work) And yes kiddos can do it to! (I will be doing a separate post about that)
What do you think? Have you ever tried Bible Art Journaling?
Hello, hello, hello! Who’s ready for a very magical round of cooking? (A very magically delicious week if you ask me) let’s jump to it!
Broccoli Salad 10 out of 10
Broccoli, turkey bacon, raisins, feta cheese and sunflower seeds covered in nonfat Greek yogurt, olive oil and rosemary. Yummy!! Yummy!! Yummy!!
Godric’s Bacon Cheddar Ale Bread 10 out of 10
So soft and sweet and buttery, loaded with bacon and cheese- So basically the perfect loaf of bread!
Yuleball Goulash 9 out of 10
Our first recipe of the week this one is amazing! Such a hearty, comfort food. Thicker and spicer than a soup this beef and noodle concoction will definitely be made again in the future.
Treacle Tart 7 out of 10
This was good but we both agreed not- wow material. Pie crust was heavenly(obviously- do you like my attempt at pie art? Uneven lace work is my specialty) but the thin tart filling was just okay.
Shepherds Pie 7 out of 10
Honestly I don’t know what I was expecting from Shepherds Pie but this version tasted a lot like sloppy Joes with mashed potatoes on top. So delicious just not what I had envisioned. Plus it makes a crap ton! We might be eating Shepherds Pie for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Hot Cross Buns 10 out of 10
These are so soft and delicious! Especially considering I almost ruined them by almost forgetting the egg- Yeeks! But thankfully these amazing little buns(which are perfect for breakfast by the way) turned out perfectly.
Pumpkin Porridge 6 out of 10
Thicker than oatmeal, but basically oatmeal. This vegan, pumpkin porridge covered in fruity goodness makes a very filling breakfast.
Bangers and Mash 8 out of 10
We ended our week like any good British cook and threw all our leftover bits and bobs into one yummy meal. I mean is sausage, gravy and mashed taters… Can’t really go wrong here.
(Also not pictured here, because I forgot to take a picture is Pumpkin Juice. Which Tay makes every year around Halloween time. So an obvious 10! I am so happy to get a pre-taste of fall.)
And that’s it guys. A day late and yet so worth it. Super excited about the coming week of cooking! Our new word is Caribbean. Just perfect for the summer heat.
For this post I decided to give you guys a brief tour of my apartment/suite in the basement of my employers’ house, where I have lived comfortably for the last… three and 1/2 years. Yikes time flies! I’ve never done a full tour so this should be fun.
We’ll begin at the beginning… I know shocking. And then just follow the room around. As you will see my decorating style is basically lots of stuff and dogs and quotes… lol!
Arguably one of my favorite spots in my room; the coffee bar.Yes I make all my many culinary creations with a hot plate, combination toaster oven and a microwave. All the things… though this bar cart was a lifesaver for cabinet space.Another favorite part of the room; our mini home gym.My current reading list. Mini library.And the bathroom.
Yeah so this is my own private domain! Stay tuned in the coming weeks as I move with the work family to the summer lake house and where I stay while there. So excited about that post.
So I had an interesting conversation a couple of weeks ago from a mother, who was considering homeschooling and what that would look like for her family. When she found out I was homeschooled and am now helping to homeschool two first graders, she had many, many questions. I thought it would be fun to do a quick interview with myself based off what we talked about and share it here.
Van Gogh Art projects from last week’s art class.
What has your experience with homeschooling been?
So I and my siblings were homeschooled from kindergarten all the way through high school. Some families choose to let their kids to go to public or private high school, and while we were all given that option none of us chose that route. Which I think speaks volumes about our experiences.
So you enjoyed being homeschooled? What do you think you gained by being homeschooled?
For myself I loved being homeschooled! Yes it was super nice to not have to go to school(and therefore get dressed) And it was nice to have your school day go from 9am-1pm. What kid wouldn’t like that? Plus we followed a traditional school year from Labor Day to Memorial Day with a nice long summer break.
However if I was to pick one thing as my chief advantage, or take away from being homeschooled it would have to be: the ability to learn. If I don’t know something both in an academic and practical sense, I know I can learn it. Because I’ve done it before.
Homeschooling requires discipline on the student’s part to sit and get your work done. Especially as we got older our school work became a list of required reading, tests and worksheets, papers written and essays turned in. Our Mom(and Dad) didn’t sit there beside us and make sure we did it. On Mondays we got our assignments for the week and then on Fridays we had to turn it in. This taught us time management and organization in addition to the discipline to learn. I now have the ability to be like, “Yeah I don’t know anything about this subject but I know the steps to learn it.” This is undoubtedly the greatest strength homeschooling taught me.
So what was the biggestdisadvantage?
With homeschooling your topics can play(and normally do play) to your parents strengths. So for instance I can’t play musical instruments or read music, but I’ve written six novels and I wrote three of those in high school. (One for school and two just cause) My history and language skills are very cemented. Can you guess which were my parents’ strengths? Yep history and language. Neither of my parents are musically talented and so we had a disadvantage there. These of course can be supplemented outside the home.
What’s one stereotype of homeschoolers that you’ve run into the most?
Do you feel like you’re socially inept? I have been asked this sooo many times.(which frankly I find the question quite rude) And the answer is no… Do you think I’m socially inept? Being a homeschooled kid doesn’t mean I was locked in the basement until I turned eighteen. We went to church, AWANA, I was a Girl Scout, my sister played softball, etc. So no I am not socially inept.
Anyway I hope this was informative! If you have any additional questions please feel free to ask me.
So my sister was lamenting the other day how she can just not set up a habit to save her life. She’s knee deep in her second semester of film school, plus working full time, plus trying to live and has found the balance hard to establish. I very casually(though I am not trying to juggle school and work) commented how easily I set up and fall into routines/habits. At which point she asked me to give her some pointers on how to get habits going for someone who is a non habit former, but thrives in that kind of environment.
So here is my attempt at doing that. And since I am doing it for my sister I thought I would share with you guys as well.
Consistency, Consistency
The first step I think to setting up any long lasting habit is to be consistent. Especially for the fist month or two. It will be tough and it may seem like it’s not gonna take, but trust me if you do whatever habit(whether that’s working out three times a week, reading a chapter a day, going for a walk everyday) for at least a month you’ll be well on your way to forming that habit.
First Hurdle
Getting a habit started has to include a good thought out goal. That end result your wanting to achieve. Whether that’s reading a book in a month, or getting all your homework done before the weekend. The point is to have a goal in mind so when you reach it you can check it off your list. Now you can be like me and actually write out a list(kinda crazy about lists) or obviously just have a mental one.
Reality
I think the other most important thing(behind consistency) about setting up a habit is making sure it’s grounded in reality. Setting up the goal to go from zero workouts to working out everyday a week is most likely doomed to fail. I found that gradually adding that new habit in is the best way to go. So yes maybe your end goal is to work out everyday, but if you start consistently working out two to three days for the first month you’ll give yourself breathing room and a good footing to keep going.
Being grounded in reality is also important, because if you think out your goal well enough you can account for all those excuses that will come along. For instance I wanted to get up earlier(even earlier) before work to read and do my Bible study(since doing them at night I’d just fall asleep) But this seemed impossible since getting up at four every morning sounded like torture. So I started with just one day a week, Tuesday since it’s my shortest work day. And I got up at four to four-thirty without beating myself if it was later. Gradually adding in Wednesday, then Saturday and Monday. (The only days I don’t do this is Sunday and Thursday, Friday since they’re my days off) Now I consistently(there’s that word again) get up at four and read from my multiple books till I go to work at six-thirty. This has resulted in me finishing five books since starting the habit.
The point is I gave myself a tamed down, smaller goal to reach first(getting up on just Tuesday early) and established that habit before working towards the next step.
Reaching that Goal
And there’s nothing like reaching that goal. For me anyway- I super goal oriented. I hope this was actually helpful and not just a major spewing of words on my part. Let me know down below if you’re a habit former, or what is a habit you’d like to establish.
Lots of love,
Tally
P.S. I find it easier to establish one habit at a time as opposed to trying to change your whole lifestyle. Again I feel like that is just setting yourself up to fail.
P.P.S. Also some habits just won’t stick(stretching every other day for me is just not working) and that’s okay. You can either try switching it up(going back to just stretching one day a week) or maybe revaluate if that habit is really one worth having.
For those of you who read my post five months ago(dang where did the time go?) I thought I would do a very brief update on my fitness, health and weight loss journey. While also sharing some of my favorite fitness content and a few things I have learned, while pursuing my goals.
But just as a recap let’s look back at where this all started. Back before COVID I decided I wanted to get in a bit better shape. I wasn’t upset with my weight nor the way I looked. But I knew that for pretty much all my life I have carried around 10-15 pounds more than I should. I also have never been a very graceful, coordinated person. I hated being intimidated by “physical” things. Basically in a nutshell I was tired of telling myself I couldn’t do things… things I had never even tried doing.
That’s when I discovered Lift Like a Girl by Nia Shanks(read post here) and thought I had found my avenue to fitness- Weight training or resistance training. So I got my first ever gym membership(read post here) and then…
COVID Happened…
Gyms closed and my health journey was put to the side. Then in August I just randomly decided it was time to try again. Thus I started dieting via the Noom app, walking 3-4 miles a day, and weight training at home three to four times a week. These were gradual things I worked into my life. From the get go my goal was to build habits that lasted and didn’t disappear five days later.
Well guys I am five months in and 25 pounds down.
Five months, 25 pounds and two dress sizes difference!
But more important to me than the weight loss(which don’t get me wrong is amazing- two dress sizes down guys) is the fact I can now do squats without falling over(with a weights by the way) And I can do lunges, again with weights! Push-ups still allude me, but long term goals right? And I can do so many other crazy exercise things I never would have thought were possible!!
Guys I can do a handstand!
Granted it’s still against the wall- but still! I have never been able to do handstands. I am so thankful for this journey that I am still going on. Because this is a lifestyle change guys. I look forward to working out after work and miss it when I skip it. Handstands are a blast to do. So yeah this is crazy to be writing!
Tips + Helps
Below are just a few of my fav weightless/training resources and a few tips I have learned so far.
BodyFitbyAmy– Kettlebell and Dumdbell work out videos on YouTube. Plus lots, lots more. She’s an energetic coach without being annoying or condescending. Love her content!
Lucy Lismore– Inspiration queen! She gives real life practical advice of someone who’s gone through this wellness journey herself. She inspired me to try handstands. Just super knowledgeable.
Maddie– stretch’s and body weight exercises. I love her content. And am eager to try more of here workout related videos.
Noom dieting app- Obviously this app gave me my intentional start with my diet. But it is a bit pricey with a subscription. Check below for a free version. But with the Noom app you do get a fitness coach and accountability with their “community”. I however found I didn’t need that extra support to push for my goals. So yeah… Just check out both and see which is a better option for you.
FatSecret app- This is basically a free version of Noom. You can do in app purchases through this app as well.
Tips:
Drink lots of water- Get yo-self a big ole water bottle and just drink that. I have lives this year on water, Bubly and hint water. Yummy!
Find motivation- Lifestyle not fad! Make sure you are not doing this for anyone else than yourself. And that you are doing it for good reasons. To be healthy, active and so forth. Not to achieve some perfect body that meets the impossible standards this world puts on us.
Cut portions in half- no such thing as bad foods. And you don’t really need to diet just eat less. Seriously make yourself a plate and then take off half. Trust me.
Eat your calories- eating too low stunts weight loss. Just like eating too much packs on weight if you eat way lower than your allotted calorie intact you will stunt your weight loss. Your body will basically go into survival mode because it thinks it’s starving(which it is) and it will hold on to the food. You have to trick your body into burning the same calories as all ways.
Listen to your body- don’t beat yourself up about missing a work out or eating above your calorie intake one day. It’s not the end of world. Remember your building habits and that takes time.
Find exercises you like- Trust me this helps sooo much. I found I love weight training and hate cardio focused workouts. So I weight train and leave the cardio for here and there. Thus I love working out.
Okay that’s all. Remember I am not a professional(like at all) and am in the process of learning all of this too. Also everyone’s bodies are different, so listen to yours. Anyway like last time I am not going to do another post about my fitness journey for awhile(big secret and all) Until next time…
Book recommendation time! So this is my Mom’s go to graduation gift. She’s given it to everyone we have ever known, who has graduated high school and/or college. It was a book that had helped her in a difficult time in her life and has always stuck with her. And boy can I see why. Sometimes the truths drawn from God’s Word and presented in this book were convicting and uncomfortable to read, but they were always exactly wanted I needed to hear. (Funny how God does that- Cool how He does that)
This book was especially timely for the year 2020 in general. Drawing my attention away from this world and it’s many problems to the Lord and His perfect solution. Namely His Son and my Savior Jesus Christ.
So if you are looking for a good book to add to your daily devotional and add to your Scripture reading look no further than My Utmost for His Highest. It’s an oldie but a goodie.
Ominous title. Feel the drama… lol But yes I decided to try a dieting app(Noom) on Wednesday three weeks ago. But what lead to this decision to ignore all my past dieting experience? Why now? To answer this we must go back to I a post before COVID, when I discovered a book(Lift like a Girl) and decided weight lifting might finally get me into the shape I’ve wanted to be in for a long time. Read post here.
Well best intentions… And then COVID. Gym closed and when it does eventually reopen you have to wear a mask… That doesn’t sound enjoyable at all. Like at all, at all. I mean I already feel like I’m suffocating in those things. Let’s add a higher heart rate and physical excursion to ease those feelings. Anyway my plans to get in shape and gain some physical confidence go hurriedly out the window.
Now for those of you, who are about to say you’re not that big or out of shape. I say true! I generally like the way I look and I know dropping to my goal weight want make me feel any more self-satisfied(here’s a post on that subject) But it’s also true to say I have always(except for maybe two or three times) carried 10-15 pounds more than I need. And I have very little muscle mass. I have never played sports or been a dancer(sadness over that) or anything else super physical. In all honesty it has never been my passion and for the longest time I told myself I could never be.
I could never be in good shape. Like not a beef cake, but not a pudding cake either. Somewhere safely in the middle. I could never lift weights or be described as that active girl. Well I don’t care if I can never be all that. But my body can do more than I think it can.
Making this decision has also required me to swallow some of my own hypocrisy thinking(and please forgive me) that women obsessed with exercise are crazy… and maybe they are. But in a good way I think now. Yes you can take exercise to the extremes just like you can taking eating and loading on the coach to extremes. Neither of which are healthy or good for your body. Moderation people, moderation.
Anyway I have been doing the Lift Like a Girl program for three weeks(along with my diet) from home. Along with doing stretches and getting back to 3-4 mile walk on a regular basis. And swimming and paddle boarding- Darn it if it hasn’t been… dare I say it… FUN! I know someone call the guys in white coats. And yes since it’s only week three of my new life of activity, let’s not get carried away and say all my old habits are dead to me. No such luck unfortunately. If only it was so easy, like flipping a switch off and on. No it’s about building habits and that takes time and practice. My goal right now is to survive my first month and then we’ll conquer the next month and then the next. Until years go by. Man I can’t even think about that right now.
So in concluding: pray for me guys. Ultimately my body is a temple to the Lord, both inside and out. And no matter what I do to my outside if my insides aren’t aligned with God, than it’s a waste. But since my body is the Lord’s I want to be a good steward and make wise decisions. Also I won’t be doing another post about this, because I want my motivation not to be(and don’t take this the wrong way) but driven by anyone else’s opinion. I’m not doing this for approval. Okay chatty Kathy is done.
I feel like I have been really off with posts and am still struggling with that unmotivated slump I fell into a few months ago. So I’ll just first say I’m sorry. I’m sorry about the inconsistency of my posts and content. Then I will quickly follow that up with; I have no idea when I will get back to my dogma of three posts a week. But it probably won’t be till after summer. I will try my best to get you at least one post a week but even that might be spotty. I really don’t know how some of my fav bloggers turn out amazing(error free *wink*wink*) posts every day, every week. But then I have to remind myself that that’s their job and I have a full time career, plus church and friends. So yeah sometimes it is a struggle to get myself motivated, or frankly to have enough energy after chasing kids all day to write out a single sentence. Forget it being intelligible or interesting.
Anyway I don’t want to make excuses or give myself an out to be a lazy writer, but anyway there you have it. I hope you guys are all doing good and having pleasant summers. Now let’s get into the reason you guys are actually reading this. Here are my media favs for June 2020!!
TV Shows/Series
The Mentalist- Only one show to put on this month’s list, since this is literally all I have been binging. As I am sure I have mentioned to you guys before I hate watching shows or series before they’re completely over. That way I don’t have to wait for a year, or longer, for the next season(looking at you Last Kingdom, Lost in Space and Agents of Shield- Oh and The Crown!) Anyway The Mentalist has made it as one of my favorite shows ever(though I’m only half way through season four so sentiments could change- Also no Red John spoilers!) I feel a personal connection to Cho, I simply adore the whole team’s dynamic and like how even characters you met in season one are brought back if the story calls for it. Too good!
Agents of Shield- I guess I should put this one here too. It’s the last season of probably one of my all time fav shows(next to Merlin) I don’t know quiet how I feel about this season yet- I have more questions then answers at this point- but in general and since I have such a love for the characters- I’m hooked. Plus they have never disappointed with their story arcs. My sister and I have already decided that once the final season is over we are starting from the beginning for an ultimate marathon!
Movies
Umm I can honestly not think of a single movie I have watched this month.
Music
Artemis– I am hooked on this new album by Lindsey Stirling. Listened to the whole album one morning while the kids ate breakfast and even they liked it, so it most be good.
Homesick by Dua Lipa- This has been the month of depressing songs. Don’t ask me why but I have been playing this song and the one below on repeat.
Sinking In by Katelyn Tarver– Sometimes YouTube comes through with an actually good suggestion and this is a score. It’s so depressing and beautiful. Which apparently is what I am in too right now.
Evita the Musical– Speaking of depressing how about a whole musical about a woman’s life and most importantly death? Being a true show tunes junkie I have of course heard some of the songs from this musical, but I have never listened to it in context and all the way through. Of course this musical is amazing and it has gone on my list of Musicals To See(I have a lot of lists in my head)
Books
The Girl Who Would Be Queen by Jane Ann McLachlan- It’s very rare for me to find I book I absolutely dislike. One that’s above my comprehension or simply too cheesy, yes but it’s hard for me to say I simply dislike a book. Well I totally dislike this book. I was excited to give it a try because I wanted to learn about the notorious Queen Joanna of Naples, who was mentioned in The Great Mortality by John Kelly, since her trail with the Pope at the height of the Black Death is infamous. So when I found this historical novel I was thrilled. Imagine my dismay when I found out the book wasn’t from Joanna’s perspective but her sister’s. And that the murder of Joanna’s husband(what she was on trail for) was covered in rush in the last chapters of the book. And that her trail wasn’t in it at all! I’m not sure what the purpose of this book even was. So yeah not a good one guys. (Remember only my opinion. If you absolutely love this book please do not be offended)
In the Shadow of Jezebel by Mesu Andrews- Taking a break from my medieval history tour I was recommended this book by a friend and have basically finished it in four days. I love how biblically accurate it is and how it really helps bring the characters to life.
I’m so behind with posts- My apologizes but here is a quick run down of what I have been loving this month.
Tv Shows/Series
The Mentalist- Sometimes I do think it’s sad how many TV shows I haven’t seen and other times I don’t. (lol) I very rarely watch a show when it’s coming out because I am too impatient and want the entire story arc right away. I’m a binger. This show has been on my watch list for a long time and I am loving it.
Reign– So I’m gonna be honest with this one… I watched two episodes and then could stomach it no longer. While I loved seeing Megan Follows and loved her sarcasm I couldn’t get over the CW cheesiness of it all. Yes I know that’s the appeal of CW shows, but I love historically accurate(both in clothing, costume, speech and events) TV shows. This one is a no from me.
Movies
The Matrix– Just the first one so far. I have seen the first one before and parts of the second one and I think the ending of the third one. So yeah it’s like watching it for the first tine.
SCOOB!- Growing up watching Hanna-Barbera cartoons this movie hit my sister and I all in the feels. Just a cute, heart warming movie about a Shaggy and his Scoob.
Music
Summer Feels by Lennon Stella- Probably my go to song for this summer. (Note this song and the next are both from the soundtrack of Scoob)
I Fly by Galantis(featuring Faouzia)- I’m so proud of this girl! She has one of my fav voices of all time and I am so glad she has been expanding her music. This is her first song on a feature film and it is so upbeat! Another great summer song.
Blinding Lights by The Weekend- Just a fun song to dance and sing to(sorry neighbors) Reminds me of the 80’s or 90’s. I don’t know why.
Books
The White Horse King by Benjamin Merkle– Just one book this month, but that’s because I am waiting on a fresh shipment from Amazon. That being said this book is awesome!! If you are even remotely interested in learning about Alfred the Great(shout out to you Last Kingdom fans) then start with this book. Even if you’re not interested read this book! It is so good. Alfred has officially become one of my favorite heroes of history; right up there with King Nebuchadnezzar and Queen Elizabeth. Yes I know these people were not perfect- Not even remotely so- but such fascinating character studies. Seriously Alfred deserves some attention people. He was a really cool guy. Anyway I’ll shut up now.
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