Pennies from Heaven

I am missing my brother today. It's been over 18 years since I have seen his face or felt his warm bear hugs.  There are days were I have a sweet reminders of him and other days, like today, where I miss him so much that I remember the moment I found out that he was ripped from our lives.

I was giving change back to someone today and realized that I didn't have any quarters left in my drawer, so I gave her .60 in dimes and .03 in pennies.  I apologized to her about my lack of quarters and she started to tear up.  I felt a little awkward until she said, "it is said that when you see dimes and pennies, it means that angels are near.  Thank you for giving me a handful of them." In those two sentences, I recalled a sweet memory of my angel brother.

When I was growing up, my brother threw pennies away.

He didn't like them.

He didn't want to have them.

When I found this out, I begged for him to give them to me instead.  And, being his favorite (and only) sister, he did.

This exchange of pennies went on for a couple years. 

Shortly after he died, I remember hearing what sounded like a handful of pennies fall on the concrete. I looked down and noticed, not a handful, but one penny lying on the sidewalk in front of me. Around the same time, on the same day, my mom sat down at her desk at work, looked up and saw a penny balancing on the edge of a binder that was sitting on a shelf above her desk.  These two experiences were a sweet reminder that while he is no longer with us, he was and still is aware of us.

So, next time you see a penny, or dime, lying on the ground or balancing on a shelf, it could be that someone you love is watching over you.  If you feel it's not for you, leave it for the person behind you because they may have been praying for peace and answers in that moment.

Dressing for success. It is really a thing?

I have a unique perspective as I work every day.  I am in finance and my branch is in a grocery store.  I have the opportunity to watch people all day.  I get to observe their interactions with each other, with other employees as well as with customers.  I am also observant of their way of dress and mannerisms. There is the cutest older gentleman that works for the grocery store.  He wears a white dress shirt, black tie and black slacks.  he is so kind and helpful.  He is always willing to jump in and help where he is needed.so many of the customers have commented on how sweet he is and nicely he is dressed.

As I have worked in many different fields, I have come to know that the way you dress is a direct reflection of how you act towards others and how others act towards you. And, it's not a matter of modest vs immodest.

At one of my previous jobs, I was a hall monitor for a Jr. High (and boy, do I have some stories).   I remember one student in particular. Halfway through her 7th grade year, she started spending time with some students that was a little lax in their education.  They didn't put forth any effort in doing their assignments, handing in their homework and some days they spent their time a park down the street.  Her mom realized that in order to "save" her daughter she would need to take drastic measures.  So, she took her daughter out of school to home school her.

Fast forward one year, this cute student was walking through the halls, eating lunch and interacting with her friends, but there was something different about her. She seemed happier.  She was attending all her classes. She was even doing her assignments. The biggest difference: she wore a dress every. single. day!  And, her mom had required that she did so! At first she was embarrassed that her mom did this. But, as the year progressed, she did also. She blossomed into someone so completely different than her former self.  She saw herself in a different light. I could see her gain confidence, which helped her gain trust and respect from her peers.  She would also compliment me every day: my hair, shoes, clothes etc.

Around that same time, I was working more with my good friend who owns an online women's clothing company whose motto is: Look, Feel, Do Good.  Her philosophy is simple: when you look good, it makes you feel good so that you can turn around and do good.  I have felt this in my own life personally. So, thank you Courtney for helping me build a foundation on which I can build my self worth on.  And, if you want to hear more of my thoughts about this, head on over to my self care post.

***This post is not sponsored nor was I compensated in any way. It's just the thoughts rolling around my head while I observe others within my environment.

Guest blog post: Family Traditions

"When one thinks of family traditions, it usually is the ones geared around the holidays: family dinner, seeing the lights on Temple Square, baking cookies, visiting those without family.  But what about the everyday traditions?"

I am so thrilled to have been featured today on SALT.  Please go read it and, if you feel so inclined, come back here and share with me your daily/weekly/monthly traditions.

Let's talk self care

When someone talks to you about practicing self care, what do you think of?

Taking a walk?

Drawing a bath?

Taking a nap? ( this may or may not be my favorite one 😉)

As good as these all sound, I won't be talking about any of them.

Let's go back in time all the way to March 2017.  I was working for a pretty cool company based here in Utah.  We were celebrating 10 years of business!!  And, in true Cents of Style form, it was a HUGE party.  We had food, dancing, photo booth, ice cream and an all around good time!  

Before the party started as all the employees were setting up, Jen Springer - the cutest makeup artist-was prepping our fearless leader.  I started asking about her about applying false lashes.  I was not new to this as I had been applying them to my daughter for the past three years for competition dance.  I was asking for me.  I had been toying with the idea of wearing them myself, but I felt that I would look like a clown or that I was trying too hard if I did. 

She gave me a few tips and I felt that I could do it.  Jump ahead a few weeks when, with my company, we hosted a dance party for SNAP Conference.  When Jen walked in, I called her to me and showed her my lash applying efforts - which took forever by the way.  She was so excited that I managed to put them on.  And, they didn't fall off all night!  

You may be asking yourselves why you even need to know all this. Well, up until this time, I would rarely wear makeup.  I usually only wore it when I went to church and on a date with the hubby. On very rare occasions, I would put it on as I ran errands.  I have been trying to think about ways to take better care of myself.  Of finding things that make me feel the way my husband feels about me.  The easiest (and, let's be honest) cheapest way to do this, was with makeup.  My hubby loves when I take a few extra minutes to apply a bit of makeup.

I can now say that ever since March 2017, I have only missed a few days of putting on makeup.  It was only when it got so hot at work (warehouse in the summertime), when I was sick, or when my depression would throw me into a tail-spin.

For me, taking care of myself involves wearing makeup and putting on those false lashes when I am wanting to feel a little bit extra.

What are some things you do in your self care routine?

My ironic financial life.....

Funny random thing about me......

I love numbers. I find connection with numbers everyday.  I love to see them in sequence, I love to write them down.  I love to enter numbers into excel spreadsheets just to see the numbers balance out.  I went to college to major in Accounting and just recently, I went back to work full time in a career in the banking industry.  

What I don't love is......

Finances.  More specifically, personal finances.

I see the irony in this all the time.

I get so stressed out when it comes to my own finances.  I always put off doing them and it creates a stressful time in my home.  

I have been following to amazing Jordan over at funcheaporfree for a few months now, and I am inspired by her-especially since she also doesn't like to deal with finances either.  I am still deciding on when I will get her Budget Bootcamp program.  But, in the meantime, I will be working on having a consistent routine with my money.

At work, we have an evaluation every 6 months. Within this time, we do 90-day action plans. After sitting down with my supervisor and planning out my focus for the next 90 days, I am getting excited about implementing this in my personal life.

The three places I am going to start with is:

this may or may not be a picture of my current system

• Budgeting 
• Filing/Organizing
• Setting up finance "appointments" with myself

Once I get my initial plan together, I'll share.  I know....lucky you ;)

Do you agree with my three areas that will help me? What other ones would you do instead?

Just a bad day.....

As I think over the last 24 hours I am feeling prompted to put my thoughts down. 

 

Last night as I went to pick up my daughter from dance, my car started to freak out.  The ABS, brake and battery lights came on- and stayed on.  The radio wasn't working and there was a weird whirring noise coming from the transmission area.  Not wanting to risk it, I ended up taking my hubby's car.  After getting home, I told my hubby about it (which almost resulted in a stupid fight),  After looking at the engine, starting it up and looking underneath, he determined that the alternator was on it's way out.  This alternator was just replaced only two years ago. We then started figuring out schedules.  Who would take my daughter to Early Morning Seminary - me. And, who would take my son to school - hubby.  I needed to be at work by 10, so anything that happened needed to be done before that.

Fast forward to 7:30 this morning and hubby had called the auto shop and was told that they weren't terribly busy, I was told I didn't need to work today - we're in a bit of a slow season, and I called the parts store and found out that the alternator we purchased there was still under warranty.  

I drove hubby's car to get the part, while trying to find someone to meet me at the shop to bring me home.  I made arrangements with my mom to meet me there.  I got into my car started it and....... nothing was wrong. No extra lights were on, the radio worked fine, the clock lights weren't faded, no whirring noises....nothing. 

I still drove into the shop, and had them do a load test on the alternator.  Everything was fine.  No issues were found. I was stumped. 

I started thinking how I react to stress, trials, struggles, life.  In many cases, I tend to overthink, expect the worst and start rearranging my life, schedule, belief etc.  I tend to "fly by the seat of my pants".  I forget to slow down, take a breath and look at all the angles. I forget that if I am having a bad day, it doesn't mean I'm having a bad life.  

After we realized I didn't need to leave my car, my momma took me to lunch.  We then got to talk about her upcoming wedding! squee!!!! I am so excited for her.  It's still a little weird, but she seems really happy about it, and he treats her so well!

Here's hoping that you find the good amongst the bad and that you know that you never have to repeat that day ever again.

Another year gone....

What a crazy year it has been.  I apologize for the lack of posts lately.  I want to change that this year.  I love having this outlet to tell of my adventures and creative processes.  A few things are changing around my house over the next few months and I can't wait to share them with you.  I also want to jump on the bandwagon that is One Little Word.  I have been thinking about my word for the past couple of months and it came to me about a week ago-so stay tuned..

A few months ago, I actually put together a December Daily album.  It's still just sitting here waiting to be filled, but I am looking forward to doing so.  In the meantime, here is the cover {as of now-I may add a bit more to it-don't know yet}

Here's to a new year full of hope, promise and growth.

Foodie Friday-Camping Edition

A few weeks ago, we took our kids (and mom) on a week long camping trip.  We haven't been for a couple of years so we were uber excited about going.  Whenever we go, we have to have at least one Dutch Oven dinner.  Our most favorite?  That would be Barbecue Chicken Pizza (my mouth is watering just typing the words)

Pizza in a Dutch Oven?!?! Yep!  And, I will show you how yummy-and easy-it is.

Barbecue Chicken Pizza (Deep Dish)

Crust:                                                               Pizza:

1 Tbsp yeast (or 1 yeast pkt)                            1 recipe pizza crust
1 c warm water                                                 1 c bbq sauce
1 Tbsp sugar                                                     2-3 c mozzarella cheese
1/4 - 1/2 c olive oil                                           1/2 onion thinly sliced (I used red onion)
1 tsp salt                                                           1/2 green pepper thinly sliced
3 c flour                                                            1-2 c shredded cooked chicken

For the crust: Mix the yeast, water and sugar, then let sit for 5 min.  Stir in the oil and salt, then add flour and kneed until smooth, adding more flour if needed.  Let dough rest for 10-15 min. 

For the pizza:  Oil a preheated oven.  Roll out the pizza crust and place it in the oven, letting the dough curve up the sides to create a shallow bowl for toppings.  Pour bbq sauce over crust and spread it evenly.  Top with the chicken and veggies and cheese.  Cook at 375 degrees (16 coals on bottom, 10 on top) for 30-35 min.

I pre-grilled the chicken at home.  I also sauteed the the onions and mushrooms before putting them on the pizza (by pre-cooking the veggies, it draws out the extra moisture so you don't have a soggy crust).  We also put tomatoes on top.  Next time, I will add the tomatoes right before we serve it. 

We also made one with just chicken and cheese for my cheese-only-pizza-lovin son.  The crust on that one turned out even better than the loaded one (could be due to the tomatoes). I think I know what we are having for dinner tonight : )

I am linking up to these sites.

http://www.delicateconstruction.com/
http://simplydesigning.blogspot.com/
http://whipperberry.com

Craft Wars Preview Party

You all know the saying "It's all in who you know" right?  Well, in this case it really is true.  See, I know this girl Mandi

As in met-her-in-real-life-and-drove-her-home-from-this-party-know-her.  She and her cute friend Jilly was on this little show called

Her other cute friend Bridgette helped her out by hosting a party, when her episode aired, at her parent's house. 

The only catch being that they were only opening it up to 100 attendees. I jumped at the chance and RSVP'd (hey, I would've come if was was being held in 1 hour away!)  Wouldn't you know it, I was number 10!!  And, at this point, the only one I knew was Mandi-but that's why I was going to this party right?  About 2 days later, my mom called to tell me about this party in which I told her that I was going. She asked if I could RSVP for her.  She ended up being #94-whew! just made it in ;)
We walked in the door to Mandi saying that she was so glad that we came and gave us a huge hug,  We were also greeted with amazing swag bags from Pick your Plum,

a photo booth-

my mom, me & Ashlee-she made the nummy Craft Wars cake

very yummy cupcakes from One Sweet Slice

a breathtaking view

and lots of talented women-some of which I actually know.

And, in case you are wondering. No, she didn't win--BOOO!  But the party was so much fun.  If you want to see how she got picked to be on the show, go here.  And, if you want to see her redeem herself (and her project), go here.

Foodie Friday- Recipie included

You may remember that a while ago, I posted about the day we had breakfast for two of our three meals.  Well, you are finally getting the recipes that I used for them.  I will also include the picture of the food as a reminder.

First up:Wake 'Em Up Breakfast Casserole

1 lb sausage, ham, bacon
8 eggs
1/2 tsp dry mustard powder (or 1tsp prepared mustard)
1 green pepper, diced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 c. cottage cheese
1 c. each shredded swiss cheese and cheddar cheese
4 c. frozen shredded hash browns
1/2 c your favorite vegetable-optional (we used onions and tomatoes)

In a skillet, brown sausage or cook bacon til crispy. In a large bowl combine eggs, mustard, green pepper, salt, pepper and cottage cheese.  Mix until eggs are slightly beaten.  Add cheeses and hash browns, mix well.  Add meat and any optional veggies.  Pour into a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Bake uncovered at 350 deg. for 35-40 min. or til center is well-set and edges are browned.  Let sit for 10 min. before cutting.  Serves 8
**Casserole can be made the night before and kept in the fridge.  Add an additional 10-15 min to the baking time.
**Bake in muffin tins to make individual casseroles that are perfect for brunch. Decrease cooking time to 25-35 min.

Next up: Pancake Sausages on a Stick

16 breakfast sausages links
3 c. pancake mix
1 c. yellow cornmeal
sprinkle of cinnamon
1 whole egg, slightly beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla ( I added maple syrup instead of vanilla)
3 c. water
Canola oil, for frying
chopsticks (or skewers)

Cook the sausage. In a large bowl, combine the pancake mix, cornmeal and cinnamon. Stir to combine.
Add the eggs, vanilla (or maple) and water. adding more water as needed for the batter to become slightly thick (but not overly gloopy) Start out by adding 1 c. then work your way up to 3 c. or more.  Heat some canola oil in a large pot over med-hi heat to about 350 deg. Drop in a bit of batter to see if it's ready; the batter should immediately start to sizzle but should not immediately brown/burn. 
Insert chopsticks into the cooked breakfast sausages so that they're are two-thirds of the way through. Carefully drop into the oil (stick and all) and use tongs or a spoon to make sure it doesn't hit the bottom of the pan and stick. Flip it here and there to ensure even browning, and remove it from the oil when the outside is deep brown, 2-3 minutes.
Serve with warm pancake syrup.

And, lastly: Peanut Butter Banana French Toast

**This recipe is for one serving so multiply the eggs per person.
Two slices of day-old bread (only if you have it-still good with fresh bread)
Make a sandwich with peanut butter and banana
Egg mixture:
one whole egg whisked
2 Tbsp orange juice
pinch freshly grated ginger
pinch cinnamon
pinch cayenne

Place sandwich in a heated iron skillet or non-stick pan that has a pat of melted butter.  Allow to brown on each side.
Serve with syrup and powdered sugar.

Light it up BLUE

What is Light it up Blue?

Join Autism Speaks in celebrating World Autism Awareness Day on April 2 and Light It Up Blue to help shine a light on autism. Whether it's your front porch or your local city hall, an office party or a banquet, the whole world is going blue to increase awareness about autism.

Light It Up Blue, in its third year, is a unique global initiative to help raise awareness about the growing public health concern that is autism. Iconic landmarks around the world will Light It Up Blue to show their support.

Join us now and help shine a light on autism.

Foodie Friday- Breakfast All Day!!

Last Sunday, we decided that it would be Breakfast Day.  I found a couple new recipes that I wanted to try out.  Every so often, we have Brinner.  Well, sitting at the table that morning, hubby announces that 'today is special because we are having brinner tonight'.  I was a little thrown off, because I was planning brinner for Wednesday night. But, I just went with it.
This first recipe was found in the book English Trifle by Josi Kilpack.  It is called 'Wake 'em Up Breakfast Casserole.

 The cool thing about this recipe is that you can customize it to your own likes.  We used bacon, onions, green peppers and tomatoes.  You can use any kind of meat: bacon, sausage, ham etc.  And any kind of vegetables: onions, mushrooms. peppers, broccoli, tomatoes etc.  Heck, you could even try it with crab, lobster or salmon (you just might not want to use the cheddar cheese).

For dinner we had Peanut Butter Banana French Toast and Pancake Sausage on a Stick.

{don't know why it's sideways, but you get the idea}

I saw the French Toast on Pinterest here. I just didn't know if {A} wanted a Banana Peanut Butter Sandwich, so I just made regular French Toast for him.  But, he ate it all up and didn't even ask for anything different. 

The other day, while watching The Pioneer Woman, she made Breakfast for Dinner and Dinner for Breakfast.  She made these Pancake Sausages on a Stick-which I thought would be perfect for brinner, since my kids keep asking me to make them. 

All the food turned out to be a hit!  We will be making more of this again!

Recipes to come soon!

Linking:

Gwenny Penny {POV}

12 on the 12th

Here are my twelve photos of my day.  I hope you enjoy them!

Dropping J off at Orchestra//Headed off to my appointments (lab kits)//finding inspiration at Bed, Bath & Beyond//looking for storage options for my office (taking two days off this week to clean, organize!!)//walking to pick J up from school//taking a break at the park before J gets out of school// FLOWERS!!!//WEARING CAPRIS!!!//sending samples to lab//watching kids play kickball//Brittany asking J to play//A running to play with J and neighbor girls

Linking:

Dear Lizzy

The Simple Things

Ella Publishing

Crafty Scrappy Happy

I am being featured....

....over on DIY by Design.  I am so thrilled and honored that Judy is featuring me on her blog today. Go on over and check out who else she is featuring.  And, while your there, link up and check out the other amazing bloggers that are linking.

Only 45 more days...

Seems hard to believe that another year has passed. It doesn't seem that long ago that I was getting these items out for last years holiday boutiques. I gues the saying is true that "time flies when you are madly trying to finish projects for the holidays".  Enjoy!

Linking up:

somewhat simple