March Snapshots...

Here are some of my favorite snapshots from this month. I am trying to be more intentional in the pictures I take. I may not have a fancy camera (I use my phone), but I can capture the moments of the season of life we are in. The weather is warming up, which means clothes drying faster out on the line (I love that). I pulled the curtain down in our kitchen, to let in all that beautiful sunlight. We have taken advantage of a lot of the fun activities our library has for the littles...like a Lego club challenge, which Libby won this month. We've made some delicious recipes this month like pumpkin-raisin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and kiwi fruit salad. . We also went on a lot of bike rides, scored some free clothes from Schoola, went on a bubble run, and kept up with our "a picture each Sunday".

I am thankful for all these little moments in my life. By themselves they may seem ordinary and mundane, but those dirty dishes and those family game nights are where it is at. They are the moments we will cherish as those littles grow.

I am thankful for this season I am. I pray whatever season you are in, you find a way to capture the littles moments. Those little moments, make up huge parts of our lives.

I hope your month has been a fantastic one! See you in April!

XO Danielle

April's Challenge to Get Fit and Healthy #Activein30

Oh man lovelies!!!! I am so excited for this month's challenge! I dropped the ball in March, but I am back with a fun challenge to get us all looking and feeling our best!! I'm sure you can tell from all those exclamation points that this mama is pretty darn excited for the "Get Fit and Healty" Challenge this month!

XO Danielle

Where we get better....

Yesterday, while in sunday school, an intersting thought was shared. We were talking about "The Word of Wisdom". As a class we were discussing the should and should nots of what we should eat, drink, and do. We talked about how certain things like drugs and alcohol are not just  harmful to our bodies, but our spirits as well. As we sat and discussed, a gentlemen raised his hand and shared this thought...

He said that we don't always know what someone is going through. It could be an addiction, a great trial, or something else. We never know because we all go through so much each day. Then he compared the Gospel of Christ to a hospital. Hospitals are places where we go to get better, when we have fallen ill. We could have any number of sicknesses, that can be to any degree, but it is at the hospital or through the aid of doctors that we can be made better again. Isn't this much like what our Savior does for us?

We are all broken. We all face flaws, short comings, and many trials. Everyday we go through something, great or small, that tries us. We may not always know what problems the person next to us is going through, but there is one who does. Our Savior, Jesus Christ does. He is the only one that can truly make our spirits whole again.

I absolutely love this idea of church being a hospital for the sick. It is a place for all. No one is immune to what the world can do to us. I know I often feel that I fall short in all that I want to be. I think as a Mama it is very easy to feel this way. We want to get so much done in one day, but often there are just not enough hours in the day.

We go through trials, some great and some small, but either way we go through them. I hope that we all know that we do not have to go through them alone. We can all receive the help that we need through our loving Savior.

Never forget how wonderfully special you are. Never forget that we are all struggling...we are ALL imperfect, but through Christ we are lifted up and made a better version of ourselves.

I pray your week is a good one. I am hoping to hop back on here and get some more posts scheduled for the week. I've been in the kitchen gearing up for a new month of shopping. I am editing pictures for that post now. Keep your fingers crossed I get my keester back on this laptop and get it posted for ya'll. I'll try real hard :)

God Bless!

XO Danielle

Our Garden: Spring 2015

Recently we started gearing up for spring planting.  I bought my seeds, seedlings, soil, and got to planting.

Hubby built me two planter boxes out of our old wood flooring. He also was such a peach and showed me how to work his drill, so I could make a box myself. I shared that triumph on instagram this past weekend. I have big dreams for our yard. I want planter boxes and green everywhere. I have a dream of us being able to sustain ourselves someday. I know we do not have a farm by any means, but it would be really cool to provide ourselves with as much of those veggie basics as we can.

For right now though, I  am starting off small. I am continuing on from where I left off last year. Last year was not so good when the summer heat came. Most of our plants died, except the aloe vera. That stuff is tough and made it through 100+ degree weather. This year I have done more research and decided that the harsh soil of the desert may not be the best for my sweet plants, which is why we are doing planter boxes, with store bought soil. It is suppose to be better for the plants out here in the hot desert.

I am excited for this gardening journey. I am a newbie people, but I have a lot of passion, so I hope that counts for something. We all have to be passionate about something right?

I do plan to share my progress, so over the years I can see what worked and what didn't. I also will try to include as many pictures as possible, because well when I see those plants grow and bloom, I am one happy mama!

I get all kinds of giddy people!!


This year we planted:

beef steak tomato plant x2
cherry tomato plant x2
zucchini plant x3
pumpkin plant x1
garden bean plants x6 (growing these from seed and keeping my fingers crossed)
jalapeno pepper plants x6
bell pepper plant x1
chile pepper x1
cilantro x2
lettuce x2
red cabbage x1
cauliflower x1
oregano x1
basil x1
green onions x4
garlic x3
and lots of pretty flowers- African Marigolds, butterflygrass, snap dragons, and daisies

We also have three aloe vera pants from last summer still going strong

I am so excited for this new planting season and I am so hopeful. I pray that God will watch over our little garden and help it to grow and thrive. In the mean time, I plan on building more planter boxes for us in the Fall. I am kind of tapped out on my garden budget for this season, so any other plans will have to wait for the fall.

What have you guys been up to in the garden?

XO Danielle

Changes Around the Blog...

We are all busy Mamas, running from here and there to take care of that family of ours. A lot of time we are beat before the dinner hour even arises. Because of that I wanted to create a space where ladies and gents, could find recipes, meal plans, and frugal living tips and tricks to help our families #takebackmealtime and encourage ourselves to live a frugal debt free life.

On Blissful and Domestic, you will not only be able to access my main blog page (what you see now), but a few other blog pages as well. These pages will help your lives continue to be more organized, debt free, and happier. From recipes, to meal plans, to homeschooling tips and tricks, you will be able to find it all on Blissful and Domestic. I am in the process of working hard to create these pages, so you are able to access more goodness to help your family succeed in living well on less.

We can all do more this year to help our families and I hope I can encourage you along the way with my posts and videos.

Know that we are all on this frugal journey together.

Have a fabulous day lovelies!!

Oh and I just filmed a new youtube video. I hope to upload it today. Woot! Woot!

XO Danielle

Important Steps to Home Ownership

This post brought to you by U.S. Bank. 

The content and opinions expressed below are that of Blissful and Domestic.

So, you’re ready to make the big leap into home ownership? Good for you. Home ownership can be a great experience and holds a number of tangible and intangible benefits. But first, you need to actually buy that property, which, especially if this is your first home, can feel more than a little complicated.

A Day in the Life of Mel...

Good Morning Lovelies! Today you are invited to spend a day in the life of her. 

You know that gal who you might think has it all together. The mama who seems to do it all. Well guess what? She doesn't. Let's fight those lies. This new series is an effort to get rid of the "super mom"  image that we all make for ourselves in our heads. It is a time to inspire one another even more. We do not have to always have it together to be good moms, wives, and women in sisterhood!

I have invited some wonderful women to share their story with us and to be real with y'all. They will share their struggles, their victories, their frustrations, their joys, and everything in between. It may not be glamorous, but it is real and real is absolutely beautiful 

Come walk a bit in the shoes of another....

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Today started much like any other day – I wake before the alarm goes off at 6am but still usually wait until I actually hear it before getting out of bed! I like to check my emails, Instagram and Facebook accounts on my phone before getting out of bed. (I know, not good. But hey, who knows when I am going to get another chance, and I like to know what has been going on in the world while I have been sleeping).

I go downstairs and make a cup of tea, prepare breakfast for Mr 3 and make sure his bag is all packed ready for nursery. Some days I might get a chance to catch up with some emails, write a blog post or go to the gym, but today I spend some time writing a note to a friend and wrapping her new baby gift that I need to get in the mail today. Whatever I do, I always check my diary. I love this little bit of “me time” before the days gets going.

At 7am I wake Mr 3 with a cuddle and tickles, we play for a few minutes and then make our way downstairs together.

Once Mr 3 is settled eating his breakfast, my husband takes over and I get showered and ready for work. By 7.45am Mr 3 is washed, dressed and ready to go, so we jump in the car, say goodbye to Daddy and start our day.

Nursery is only five minutes’ drive away and we talk about the shapes in the clouds on the way. We have some great conversations on the way to nursery, some of which I note down when I get back in the car for my Project Life album.

 Once Mr 3 is happily in his class with his friends, I jump back in my car and head off to work. On a good day it takes 20 minutes, but it can be up to an hour on a bad day. This is Dubai after all, and the traffic can be very unpredictable! On the way to work I review the goals I have set the night before, and start planning my day. All whilst singing along to whatever song the local radio station is playing!

If I’m lucky I get into work at 8.45am, catch up with my team, get out the to-do list and crack on. My favourite kind of day is one with a couple of meetings, plenty of time to work, maybe a quick lunch with a friend or at least the chance to take 30 minutes to read or write while I am eating my lunch. I try to bring my lunch with me to work, but today was a big fail and I ordered a healthy salad which I ate whilst writing a letter to my grandmother. I love writing letters – email is great but there is nothing like a proper letter. I pop to the post office and mail the new baby gift too. That’s another thing crossed off my to-do list, which always makes me happy.

At 4.30pm I leave the office and head back to nursery to pick up Mr 3. I call a friend on the way for a chat – I try to speak to my parents or a friend each day when I drive home, to make good use of the time. Mr 3 loves nursery and it is fun to watch him play while I chat with his teacher and the other mums for a few minutes. The drive home brings more questions from the little guy. Today’s big question was “How many T-Rexs would have to stand on top of each other to reach the top of the Burj Khalifa?” The Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world, and we are lucky enough to live in the same city and see it from our house. It’s often a topic of conversation! We get home at about 5.30pm, work out the Burj Khalifa question (the answer is 138, in case you were wondering!) and play snakes and ladders while Daddy cooks dinner. I also unpack our bags, putting the lunchboxes in the dishwasher and taking out any artwork. I like to put the date on the back before sticking it up in our “gallery” (the kitchen door). Eventually it gets photographed and scrapbooked, but that’s another story! We share the cooking duties, as we share pretty much all the household tasks, which makes life much easier for both of us. Opening the front door to the smell of a good chicken curry is also a bonus!

We eat dinner at about 6pm all together at the table. This is one of my favourite times of day, when we sit down together and tell each other about our day. This is so important as the three of us are apart all day, experiencing different challenges and learning new things, which we like to share when we get back together again. We don’t cook separate meals for Mr 3, so this is also a good time to introduce him to new foods and talk about healthy eating and where food comes from. We love eating in this house! Apart from the Burj Khalifa question, tonight we also talk about what we’ll do at the weekend, the Oscars and the constellation Orion which Mr 3 discovered with Daddy last weekend.

Once dinner is finished we all help to clear the table and load the dishes in the dishwasher. There is leftover chicken curry and rice, which goes straight into Mr 3’s lunchbox for tomorrow. I pack his snacks too and put it all in the fridge, ready for tomorrow morning. Packing the lunches the night before saves so much time the next morning, and I like to clean the counters and kitchen sink before finishing up. 

After some more snakes and ladders, I bath Mr 3, read a bedtime story and then lie with him for 10 minutes while he drops off to sleep. He’s such a cutie but I am ready for him to sleep tonight, as I have more work to do from home and a blog post to finish. My husband is also working on his computer so we chat away while we are working. It’s been a busy day and I would much rather watch TV or do some scrapbooking, but I have some things to prepare for tomorrow in the office and I know that my day will be much smoother tomorrow if I get ready tonight. I always try to clear my emails and write tomorrow’s to-do list each evening, so that I can hit the ground running in the morning.

I turn off the laptop and head to bed at around 10.30pm, pretty much my usual time - I need my beauty sleep! I fall asleep knowing that I’ve had a productive day, spent time with my family and spoken to a few friends. I’m ready for tomorrow, when we’ll start all over again! Good night!

Mel Carruthers

www.moreorganised.com

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Thank you so much Mel for sharing a little bit about you and your sweet family:)

Find more A Day in The Life of Her HERE 

If you would like to be a part of the "A Day in The Life of Her" series, shoot me an email. I'd love to have you!

blissful_and_domestic@yahoo.com

XO Danielle  

March Frugal Accomplishments...

Hey lovelies! It's time for this month's frugal accomplishments post :)

I had four zucchini squash to use up, so I made four loaves of zucchini bread. I froze my leftover shredded zucchini for baking later in the upcoming months.

I canned some apples that I got from Bountiful baskets this week.

Made smoothies for breakfast and for hubby's lunch

We ate out at In and Out with coupons the kids earned at the library

Speaking of the library we scored a bunch of books at the library this week. The each went home with 5+ chapter books to read. I love being able to check out books, so we always have new adventures to read!

I chopped and froze mangoes I got from Bountiful baskets.

I made dinner at home 6 nights this week. Every night, but in and out night.

We attended a science program at our library

I snagged some cute things for Miss Priss from Schoola. I had some credit, so I used that to buy a few more summer clothes for her and some church dresses.

We also got to attend a fun Spring celebration in a friends neighborhood. The kids had a blast!

I colored my hair at home

We borrowed some movies from my parents :)

Hubby and I enjoyed some FREE babysitting (thank you mom and dad), so we could go out on a much needed date night.

I worked out at home

We went to the park to play with friends for a fun homeschool outing

We played games at home for Family Night this month :)

We hosted a fun doll club party at out house with our Homeschool group. Seriously so fun!

We also paid cash for this girl's braces. Woot! Woot!

I love trying to reflect back on the frugal things we've done throughout the month. It is a great way to remind myself of the ways that I save and maybe how I have room for improvement. I also think it is a great way to share and encourage one another.

How did you save this month? Let's share our ideas and inspire one another :)

If you have your own frugal accomplishments post, leave the link in the comments

XO Danielle

Baked Jicama and Carrots...

A few weeks ago I received a jicama in my Bountiful Basket. I was stumped as what to do with it. A quick Google search solved that problem. I found tons of recipes for jicama, so I decided to give it a try. Jicama is very similar to potatoes, so it can be used in place of them in most recipes. Jicama Fries, Jicama bakes, etc.

I decided to go with a roasted veggies, since it was almost lunch time. I was super hungry and wanting a veggie fix. I washed and peeled my jicama, along with my carrots. I chopped them into chunks and placed them on a baking sheet. I also chopped my onion. Thankfully Keagan was there to help me out with the onion. Onions make me cry like crazy, so usually the boy helps me out.

This was a quick and easy meal to throw together. I let it bake for 40 minutes, while we finished up school, and then lunch was ready. I served it with a slice of zucchini bread for me and hot dogs for the kiddos. Super easy and yummy!

Ready to make your own?

Baked Jicama and Carrots

1 large jicama, washed and peeled
4 carrots, washed
1 purple onion


Chop your jicama and carrots into 1/2 inch chunks. Next chop your onion into chunks as well. Place veggies on a greased baking sheet (I used olive oil). Generously sprinkle your veggies with seasoning salt, rosemary, and celery seed. Bake at 400' for 35-45 minutes.


Enjoy!


XO Danielle

My Battle with PCOS...

As promised, I am taking some time to talk about my battle with PCOS. I recently shared a post on instagram and used the #PCOS. I had no clue that there would be such a response from it. You all truly are some of the most encouraging people around. Many of you also suffer from this syndrome and were asking me questions and wanting me to write about it, so here I am. I will share a little bit of how I came to find out I had it and what I am doing to get it under control.

Here we go...

A year ago I had a miscarriage. After the miscarriage, I just never felt like I truly got back to normal. My cycle never returned back to it's "normal" cycle and I had a bunch of other symptoms as well. I kept gaining weight, no matter what I ate. I couldn't lose the weight I was gaining (no matter how hard I worked out), I would break out all the time on my face, and a few other things. With all of this happening, I knew it was time to ask my OB/GYN. I had my yearly appointment and told her all that I was experiencing. She wanted to do blood work and an ultra sound. I was hopeful, feeling like finally we could get things back to normal and get us back on the baby train. We have been wanting more children for years, so any amount of delay was very saddening to me.

I honestly thought it would be something with my thyroid or maybe I needed a hormone boost or something, I was not prepared when the doctor came in and told me I had PCOS. I had Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. It  is a hormonal disorder that causes enlarged ovaries with small cysts. You can read more about it here.

The doctor took time explaining what I had and how it was greatly affecting hubby and I growing our family. Women who have PCOS, usually show certain signs or symptoms. I had a huge amount of them. You don't have to be overweight to have it, but it is common as it causes hormone imbalances that cause your body to produce large amounts of insulin and basically throws your body out of whack.

When you have PCOS, if you don't get it under control, you are at risk for diabetes, heart disease, and endocrine cancer. It also causes infertility.

I still remember when the doctor spoke those words. I broke down and started crying. It didn't seem fair. Yes I have two kiddos, but I really wanted more. I had prayed for more, so why was that being taken away from me? I felt that loss very deep. I was understandably bummed those first few days and cried a lot. Thankfully I have a great support in my Hubby, who was right there by my side. He's the best shoulder to cry on.

I have a really good doctor, who also suffers from PCOS, so she was able to share some first hand knowledge of what has worked for her to get it under control. She gave me some websites to go home and study. She told me that "yes PCOS has all these symptoms and all these health problems can occur because of it, but there is hope". She has been able to control her PCOS through diet and exercise. She said that I had to basically change everything I was doing. The diets to lose weight in the past never worked for me because calorie counting is not how my body loses weight. Foods like dairy, gluten, sugar, and refined carbs (white flour carbs), are hard for my body to digest, causing it to send out a lot of insulin. The more that I study, the more I understand. I was only diagnosed a few weeks ago, so it is all new to me.

After those first few days of my BIG time pity party, I started researching more. If I could find a way to control my PCOS with diet and exercise, than I needed to do it.

This is NOT just a temporary thing to allow me to ovulate and ultimately get pregnant, but is a life style change because I'll always have PCOS and I need to get it under control, so I can prevent some of those other health problems that come with it.

When I first started researching diets and stuff for PCOS, I was really overwhelmed. I decided to just try a few things at first and then I would continue to work my way through eliminating those things that are not good for me.

First off, I cut sugar out right away. In the past three weeks I have only had one churro at Costco and a bite of my daughter's cupcake. For this sugarholic, that is a big deal. I also started cutting out dairy and switching to a plant based, whole grain diet. Thankfully some of these changes we had been making over the past year, so I was not totally overwhelmed. The hardest thing for me has actually been the dairy. I still eat cheese with dinner sometimes, but I no longer snack on it. I also switched us over to soy milk. I am taking the dairy elimination at a slow pace, as it is the hardest one for me right now. Surprisingly sugar has not been a big deal. I am getting enough sweets from the fruits I eat that I feel quite satisfied in the sweet tooth area.

I have also been working out 6 days a week. Right now I am using Jillian Micheals Get Ripped in 30. I have lost 15 lbs so far and am feeling amazing. My energy is back and my face is even starting to clear up. Thank the heavens for that one. I was getting tired of feeling like a teenager.

It is still a struggle, but one I am willing to fight. I don't want the word "infertility" to define me. I know that with hard work I can do this. It may take a while, but I hope that God willing we will be able to get pregnant. I know it will take a while, but I am totally up for the challenge.

If you want to see how I am progressing, check me out on instagram. Posting has been a great encouragement to me, so I will keep that up. I hope it encourages you as well.

Thank you for listening and for always being amazing readers and friends.

If you want to learn more about controlling your PCOS with diet and exercise check out here and here. They have been some of my favorite sites to learn from.

Also most women with PCOS are referred to a fertility specialist to find out about invitro or taking fertility drugs. For Hubby and I this is not an option we are considering. I just wanted to let you know that it is something we have thought and prayed about, but do not feel it is what we should do at this time.

Thank you always for your love and support. You lovelies are the best!

XO Danielle

P.S.

The pictures above I pulled from my Instagram. They are some of my progress pictures I've been posting over the past few weeks :)

Pumpkin-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Raisin Cookies - A Healthy Version

Last weekend I was in a baking mood. It was Sunday afternoon, the kids were playing some board games, and Hubby was recovering from a cold on the couch. Poor baby boo woke up achy and stuffy. He is thankfully feeling better now. I was in a mood to make a sweet treat, but didn't want to mess up all the hard work I have been doing during the week with my workouts. With healthy eating in mind, I decided to make a healthy version of one of my favorite cookie recipes. I figured if I could up the health factor, hopefully I could take away some of that guilt from indulging a bit over the weekend.

Here is the original recipe I modified. I replaced the regular oil with coconut oil, white flour with whole wheat, and I added in a few other healthy goodies to up the fiber in the cookies. Oh and I cut the sugar content in half. I am trying to limit the amount of sugar we are eating, so I figured 1/2 the original amount would serve us much better in our new eating habits.

These cookies are soft and chewy. You have enough sweetness from the chocolate chips, that you aren't missing that cup of sugar I omitted. You also get a bit of a protein boost from the walnuts. Yum!

Pumpkin-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Raisin Cookies - A Healthy Version

1 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 can Pure Pumpkin
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/3 cup quick-cooking  or old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup ground flax seed
1/3 cup ground wheat germ
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup raisins
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350'. Lightly grease baking sheets with olive oil. In a mixing bowl, cream coconut oil and sugars together till they are nice and fluffy. Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla. Mix well. Add flour, oats, wheat germ, flax seed, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix well. Stir in walnuts, raisins, and chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 14-16 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned and set in the center. Cool on a baking sheet for 2 minutes and then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes 60-70 cookies (I used a cookie scoop- best thing ever!)

Enjoy!

XO Danielle

Frugal Ways To Add A Little “Spring” To Your Wardrobe...

With Spring fast approaching, the urge to overhaul your entire wardrobe will inevitably arrive too. Indulging in every new color or trend can leave your budget a little drained. Luckily, there are quite a few ways to trick your mind into thinking you have a whole new wardrobe!

Fun Accessories

Spring accessories such as a new pair of sunglasses, a colorful scarf, or a fun hair wrap are all great ways to spruce up your wardrobe. This time of year, stores will have a surplus of Spring like items in gorgeous colors and patterns. You can usually find these fairly cheap at your local department store or you can look online for a great deal. Sites like Groopdealz and Cents of Style always tend to have frugal pieces that are in season.

New Makeup

One of the easiest ways to transition from Winter to Spring is to brighten up your makeup routine. Go a shade brighter with your lipstick and blush or invest in a bronzer to create a sun-kissed glow. You can also get out of the neutral eyeshadow rut and purchase a fun pastel shade. If you're trying something new, don't feel that you have to spend a lot of money to get a great result. Many drugstore makeup and nail polish brands will give you a great long lasting result at a cheap price.

Transition Pieces

Many pieces in your wardrobe can transition into warmer weather with one or two small changes. Long sleeves and jeans can be rolled up, leggings and a cardigan can be added to summer dresses and button up shirts can double as a light jacket. Think out of the box to create new looks. Look for inspiration on Pinterest to see ways that you can reuse the clothes that are already in your closet. You could even go window shopping to see how you can recreate this season’s trends.

Break Even

There are always those items that we can't resist or truly do need. For those items, do your best to break even. You can break even by trading your old clothing, or selling your clothes to cover the cost of your new purchases. This is especially easy to do by utilizing online thrift stores such as Twice or thredUp. These sites will take your old clothing and give you store credit so you can purchase quality in season items. Another way to break even is to purchase items that you can use for many different seasons.

Purchase One or Two Season Appropriate Items

If your wardrobe is seriously lacking, you can purchase one or two items that are specifically tailored for warmer weather. This could be a pretty blouse in a bright shade or pretty print, a pair of capris, or some great sandals. When purchasing these items, try to find things that work with what you already have in your wardrobe.

What are some of your favorite Spring items to add to your wardrobe?

XO Cate