Puppies, Fruit, and Birthdays: Thinking Out Loud #113

Good morning and happy Thursday!! We are officially 85 days out from the wedding! Everyone keeps asking me if I feel stressed and am freaking out about details and I'm really not. I know we have a lot that needs to be done, but Brent and I have been really laid back about the entire process. Never once have I stressed about something (minus a little when my dress wasn't going to come in until a month before the wedding and I need it altered). Aside from minor hiccups everything really has been smooth sailing. We're keeping it small and simple since neither of us want fancy and we've actually had fun picking stuff out. Anyway before I blabber on about wedding stuff let's jump into this weeks thinking out loud! 

1. Some days my job really sucks other days it's ok and some days I get to meet really amazing people who make an impact on my life. Last week I had one of those stories. I meet up with a family who's little girl has a rare disease called OTC deficiency. Basically her body can't process protein so if she eats more than a few grams of protein a day she can land in a coma or end up with brain damage or death. A few weeks prior I had done a different story with the mom and she was just incredible. The family was so sweet, so much fun, and made my job a blast. Two days after the story aired a box of warm cookies was delivered to the station for me from the family with the sweetest note. I don't do my job for gifts, I do it to help families like this, and I know I will always hold a special place in my heart for this family💗

2. This lupus flare seems never ending. It's toned down a lot, which I'm very thankful for, but there's certain things that are lingering and it's killing me. Like sleep. Sleep has been incredibly hard for me for years, but during this flare even more so. There's many nights I literally get zero sleep. I lay awake for hours exhausted but unable to sleep. I can't take melatonin and the million other sleep medicines that have been recommended or prescribed just don't work. It's beyond frustrating when all I want is some decent sleep. Most days I'll grab a can of Bubbl'r. It's sparkling water with natural caffeine. It tastes delicious and isn't packed with artificial ingredients or sugars. It's made a huge difference for me. (I'm not paid to say that I'm just a big fan of the product).

3. This week I met this adorable pup and I wanted to take her home. I was doing a story with a woman who lost her husband to cancer and her ring doorbell camera captured the FedEx man shoveling her porch to help her out. It was so sweet and the woman is beyond amazing. This little pup launched at me the second she opened the door and I was instantly smitten. She's a four month old mini Australian Shepard. She probably won't get bigger than 10 pounds and she was a snuggle bug. Of course I texted Brent that we needed a pup and I'm working to get him on board😬

4. My big brother is 30!! Technically his birthday was the end of last week, but last week was monstrous disaster with my bathroom exploding (it was a nasty mess that you don't want to know about, trust me, I didn't want to know about it either) so here we are almost a week late. It's all good though because a birthday is a birthday and it's not like we didn't celebrate with him from afar. His gift even arrived early :) so happy belated birthday brother, you're officially old🎉🎉🎉

5. The station photographer/my best friend/bridesman is seriously a life saver. I was STARVING yesterday- it was a busy day and even though I had lunch it just didn't cut it. I was going to wait until I got home to eat, which was like another two hours, but he picked me up a fruit tray from the local grocery store. Everything was so fresh and delicious I was in heaven😍

That's all for this week, I'm gonna go try and take a nap, but have a great day and a wonderful weekend!!

Wedding Shower, Vegan Eating & Puppies: Thinking Out Loud #112

Happy Thursday! I can't believe it's been over a month and a half since I've written a post, time is flying by. The countdown until the wedding is officially on, today marks 92 days! We're so excited that it's coming up, but at the same time I'm savoring every last minute of being engaged. It's such a special season in life full of promise and hope that I don't want to take a minute of it for granted. Anyway before I begin all the bridal babble let's jump into this weeks thinking out loud!

1. At the end of last month Brent and I flew home to Michigan for a wedding shower. My incredible maid of honor did such a good job putting it all together. I've never been one for bridal (or baby showers) as a general rule I just hate them. The games are probably my least favorite thing in the world, they last forever, and really I'd rather just mail someone a present or check and be done with it. When we said we were coming home she instantly went into planning mode. I said I wanted it small, simple, no games, brunch, and done in two hours or less. Let me tell you she delivered! It was a couples shower so my whole family came out and a few of my closest friends. Seeing everyone was a blast and it was a blast. A massive thank you to my maid of honor, you deserve an award for being the best maid of honor ever💕

2. Brent and I had found a restaurant on instagram called Rochester Brunch House. The food looked beyond drool worthy so we made the drive to check it out. SO WORTH IT! Holy smokes their food was AMAZING! It's a super busy restaurant, but well worth the wait. We ordered three plates- cinnamon roll pancakes, chicken bacon avocado sandwich, and he got a spicy chicken sandwich. Everything was so good and once we were seated our food arrived in less than ten minutes. I shared more of the food on my instagram if you want to check it out!

3. I got my fill of puppy time while we were home too. Cora LOVED Brent right off the bat, which I was pleasantly surprised about. She's always been hesitant with people, especially men, but the second we walked in the door she was all over him kissing and loving on him. Let me tell you, watching Cora and Brent play I thought my heart was going to explode with love🐶💜

4. Speaking of dogs, for Valentine's Day I told Brent no flower, no dinner out, I want to stay at home, cook something together, and have a quiet evening. He begrudgingly obliged, but still got me this adorable dog anyway. I've been begging him for a dog for months now. We both want one but our work schedules are a little crazy and I would feel terrible leaving a dog alone for 10 hours a day while we're working. Once we get married, live in the same apartment, and have a little bit more normal hours we agreed to get a dog. In the meantime we go to the shelter pretty much once a week to play with the puppies and love on them. 

5. Last month a friend gave us a giftcard to a vegan restaurant in Omaha. Neither of us have anything against being vegan at all, however I just really enjoy bacon. I could probably be vegan if they allowed bacon. Anyway, we made the trip to Omaha to test out the place. It was surprisingly good! Brent got a vegan form of mac and cheese, the cheese was made from cashews and something else. It was all allergen friendly so I tried some and it was delicious! I got a lentil and veggie burger with fries which was so good! While I don't know if either of us would drive up there just to eat there again I would go back if we were in town. The restaurant is called ModernLove in Omaha if you ever want to check it out!

6. I'll probably get flack for sharing this one but I really don't care. A friend from my college small group recommended this podcast to me for Brent and I to listen to. While the name might sound misleading the podcast talks about how sex fits into a biblical marriage and how God intended for it to be something good. They also talk about marriage and different aspects of it, like how every day you're not going to be madly in love with your spouse and there's little things that annoy each of you. Brent and I started listening to it and there's times when it's uncomfortable, but we've had some really deep and provoking conversations that we wouldn't otherwise have had. As we head into marriage I've found it incredibly beneficial and I'm sure we'll find it even more so after we get married. 

7. Oh how true this is! While we're so excited for the wedding we've been walking through a very rough season reason recently. Between health issues, work problems, and various other things it's been a trying season. I'm so thankful to have Brent by my side as we walk through these times. I think the hardest thing for each of us is we want to fix things for the other person, but as we've walked through this season of uncertainty fixing things hasn't been a solution. We've had to simply be there for one another- be a shoulder to cry on, a comforting hug, and learn how to pray for each other. In a sense I'm glad for these difficult few months because we have grown stronger, both individually and as a couple, our eyes have been opened, and we are learning more about depending on God. It's not fun, it's not easy, but I know there will be light at the end of the tunnel.

Have a great Thursday and thanks for sticking with me over this crazy busy season. I can't wait to share more wedding festivities, have a great weekend🎉🎉🎉

Is there any podcasts you listen to and really enjoy? 

What do you or who do you turn to when you're facing a difficult season in life?

Power Packed Granola Bars (GF, DF)

Good morning and happy Thursday! It's been a super long time since I've shared a recipe so I figured it was way past time to share one. When my fiancé and I were just dating he would look for healthy snacks to put in his lunch that would keep him full until lunchtime rolled around. Anyone who knows my fiancé knows at times he can be an eating machine- and it's very unfair because he never gains a pound. Protein bars never filled him up all the way and apples and peanut butter would only keep him so long. I suggested granola bars and pulled out all the goods.

These granola bars are loaded with nuts (healthy fats), protein (peanut butter and the nuts), and complex carbohydrates (oats) which take longer to break down and keep you full longer. I add just a little bit of mini chocolate chips to satisfy his sweet tooth, but these can be left out. At times I've also thrown in goji berries and they add a nice crunch in the bars as well. These granola bars have been a staple for months and they're super easy to make!  

Power Packed Granola Bars

• 2/3 cup almonds
• 2/3 cup cashews
• 1/3 flax seed
• 1/3 chia seeds
• 1/3 dried, sugar free cranberries
• 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1.5 cups oats (gluten free)
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• heaping 1/3 cup honey

Line an 8x8 baking pan with tinfoil and spray with non stick cook spray.

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

In a mixing bowl combine all the dry ingredients.

In a separate bowl place peanut butter and honey.

Microwave peanut butter and honey for 30 seconds, stir, then for another 30 seconds, or until it's melted. Stir to combine. 

Pour melted peanut butter and honey over dry ingredients. Use a flat silicone spatula to coat all dry ingredients with peanut butter mixture. 

Dump the combine ingredients into the lined 8x8 pan and press down mixture so it's evenly spread out. 

Bake at 350F degrees for 10-15 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. 

Allow the pan to cool before cutting the mixture into bars. Store in airtight container for up to two weeks.

If you make them snap a photo, tag me on instagram, or use the hashtag #thesimplelife.