The Keto Reset Diet

After many years of my friend touting the Keto Diet I decided to give it a try.  The only problem... I am a former vegan and current vegetarian.  I never had an aversion to meat but when my doctor said I had high cholesterol I did something about it and became vegan for 2 years a lower it to normal... but I digress.

I was excited to start this diet with my husband.  He had heard about it and was equally excited.  I read the book and made some coconut oil and butter pucks for my coffee (which is pretty darn good). The author does a great job of explaining the science behind the diet. He put it in easy to understand format and made all those big science-y words not so scary. But when it came time to make the food I froze. I honestly didn't make any of it due to the cost of the diet itself.

I am not opposed to spending money on food but when you come from feeding your family nothing but fruits and veggies for 2 years and jump into a meat and fat laden diet it becomes a huge pill to swallow. Most of the recipes looked great and I will hand onto the book and possibly try them but as for now we just can't do this diet.  I have passed it onto friends who have been successful with it and for that I would recommend this book.

I guess one day I hope to be able to give this reset diet a try.

Could not put it down...

I am one of those people who really, really want to be a reader.  So getting myself to read is a hard task.  But this book was so easy and quick to read.  I loved every second of it.  The author describes the scenery so well that you feel a chill go up your back as you are reading about the winter scenes.  He uses words that are quick and easy to read, adding just enough detail without going overboard.

I loved the characters.  Both Ben and Ashley are beautifully complicated and flawed.  Since this book is written from the voice of Ben, I found myself constantly needing reminding that it was a man speaking... apparently most of the books I read are from a female perspective.  I really loved the flow and simplicity of this book.  Each step that the characters took, I took.  When they cried, I cried.  I tried so hard to keep my Christian perspective during some of the scenes, and even found myself angry with the characters.

The author does a great job of inputting God and Christian values throughout this book.  They aren't loud and shoved in your face but rather subtle.  He adds a human touch to them.  We all face hard times in our marriages and life and I think he did a great job of addressing these subjects and keeping God there.  I would highly recommend this book!

** This book was given to me to review by Blogging for Books.

Instantly Transported

I love reading a book that instantly transports me to another time and place.  I felt like I was walking among the characters... experiencing life side by side.  This book makes me want to visit Sri Lanka.  The author uses such vivid imagery and develops the characters so well that I didn't want to put the book down.

As a married woman in a new country, Gwendolyn is torn when her English husband become distant and a new exotic man shows her some attention.  Reading the twists and turns made this book exciting and fun to read.  Does Gwendolyn have a dark secret that could ruin her marriage?

I love books that keep me intrigued and wanting more.  This book would make a great summer read!!

Rooted in Prayer

Prayer... most of us throw that word around like we do the word Love.  We tend to casually say, "I will pray for you".  We say it with good intentions but what does it mean to really PRAY.  In this book I learned to search deep within myself for what God was calling me towards.  I had to really stop and get on my knees to find the answer to all that I was searching for.

I love how Mr. Liebscher uses David as an example of how we are to be faithful and never stop praying.  Sometimes we can hear God nudging us in a certain direction almost instantly and some times it takes years to hear that voice.  I love having this book in my library because it causes me to stop and look over my life.

Being a stay at home mom I often feel sheltered and set aside in my calling from God.  But after reading this book I have put Post-it notes all over my house reminding myself that Motherhood is my Ministry.  And while this may be true for this season of my life I am happy to return to this book again and again as I move through different seasons... always returning to learn where God wants me next.

**I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

A Vegan Chef Cookbook

I really, really love to cook (sometimes).  My father was a chef and would use every single bowl, knife, pot and pan when he cooked a meal at home.  I, on the other hand, really like things simple.  On occasion I like to chop all my ingredient first and then start cooking but most of the time I have to turn the heat off after adding my garlic because I am in the middle of chopping the next ingredient... Why am I telling you this?

Because I like simple cooking.  I am a mother of two young boys and need things to be simple.  I need to get dinner on the table while helping with homework or running out the door to Scouts or sports. 

This cookbook is full of amazingly delicious recipes.  Ones that I am happy to cook and take the time with.  Gently loving each ingredient as I add it.  These dishes are so full of flavor and exciting to the vegan palate (which sometimes gets a little tired of tofu and plain veggies).  I loved taking my time to make many of these recipes but I honestly have to to save them for special occassions.  

While this cookbook will stay of my shelf and I will always look through it.  I think this is best left to the people who have more time.  Don't get me wrong, I really want to make everything from this book but I lack the time and energy in my life right now.  This book is full of great recipes that will add some variety and spice to any home cooks repertoire!
 

Goodbye Lists, Hello Organized House

I don't know about you but I love Excel... you know the computer program.  Ever since I first learned to use Microsoft Excel I have loved making spreadsheets.  I make them for grocery lists, cleaning lists, school items and household things too.  I make them for the most mundane of tasks that do not require a spreadsheet at all.  I love making little boxes and putting borders around them.  I love to merge cells and wrap text.  Call me a nerd if you will but I love it!

I only just now realized that I need to stop making lists and spreadsheets.  Mind you I won't give them up all together but I need to think about how I utilize them and the stress they cause me.  I have been a stay at home mom for almost 8 years now... and if this was a paying job I would have been fired long ago.  Anyone else feeling me?

I have tried to fly with the FlyLady (she is great!!! but I can never keep up)... I have tried to modify her stuff to fit me.  I tried to send my boys to grandmas for the weekend and clean my house from top to bottom and then it gets messy again within weeks.  I made spreadsheet after spreadsheet, trying to keep myself on track.  I even bought a new notebook at the start of the school year, you know, when everything is fifty cents!!!  And nothing has worked.

I just keep trying and seems to do nothing but setting myself up for failure... until I found Marie Kondo.  Have you ever watched a news report and seen an idea and thought, hmm that is pretty awesome, and then file it away in your brain which already holds too much information?  This is what I did when I first heard about her book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up!  I really wanted to try it but was too cheap to buy the book or too lazy to try anything new.

Until I found it at Costco!!  Am I right ladies, everything looks better at Costco.  I love to walk up and down the aisles at all the things I don't need for my home.  I peruse the books as if I have the time to sit and read!  Then I saw this book...

I already knew that this is what it looked like and I have to grab it.  And it was only $10 and I thought lets do this.  I think you have to reach a certain point in your life where you need and WANT to change.  I thought I was fine but after reading this book I didn't know how lost I was.  This book reads to quick and easy and the more you read the more you want to finish the book so you can tear apart your house and find peace!

Being the mother of two young boys that word, PEACE, isn't something that I think of when I envision my house.  But I am learning that I can have it and how desperate I am to find it.  Do you ever come home and find yourself so angry with how your home looks that you really just want to climb under the covers and hope some magical cleaning fairy will show up?  I was in a constant state of moving piles, piles of papers off my counter and to my dining room table then off that again so we could eat.  They always were shifted from one place to another until I got so sick of it that I finally dealt with them.

But how is that a way to live?

After reading this book I tackled my closet since she says clothes go first.  I am not going to give away all the details because you need to have this book!!  I was able to refold my husbands t-shirts and underwear and freed up three drawers in his dresser and I cleared two whole hanging racks from my closet.  And was able to have this space to enjoy...

How crazy is that?  (By the way that is the first dollar I ever made!!)

I have a beautiful closet.  I got rid of some clothing items but for the most part I just folded them properly and put them away... GET THIS BOOK!!

Check out her website too!

But now that my closet is looking nicer and my downstairs catch-all closet is organized I still have to clean the house right?

And we are back to the lists... the never ending checklist of all the things that need to be accomplished on top of doing the dishes, making the beds, picking up after myself and my family, doing the laundry and finding some time to eat and exercise?

I was mad... so mad that I took my hedge trimmer to my rose bushes and trimmed those poor defenseless plants to almost nothing!  And then by the grace of God (my savior) I found the solution!!

No More LISTS!

Bye bye spreadsheets and never ending to do lists.  We all know that we need to clean the mirror, counters, sinks, tub, shower and toilet when we clean the bathroom, right?  So why did I have every single detail of every single thing I needed to do.  I know I need to make the beds in the morning and get dressed.  I know I need to do the dishes every day and water the garden.  Why was I setting myself up for disaster but overwhelming myself with a plethora (one of my favorite words to say!) of things to do?

So from now on for Monday it will simply say... Sheets and Bible Room.  (The Bible Room is our front room that we have dedicated to not only the first thing you see when you enter our home but also a declaration of our love for the Lord.  We read our bibles in there with our boys and display our collection of crosses that we gather on our travels.)

I know that Sheet and Bible Room means to wash the sheets and clean the Bible Room.  I don't need a list telling me that I need to dust and clean the blinds and sweep, mop and vacuum... forget that noise.  I know what needs to be done.  So once this is published I am taking down my silly checklists and putting up a simple weekly list... 7 sections (cause you know there are 7 days of the week) and their corresponding tasks.  DONE.

Granted I still have a long way to go to make my house tidy and organized like the book says.  But I feel so much better about making my life work.  And not having my husband want to fire me when he comes home!  (just kidding, I am lucky that the Lord sent me a patient and understanding husband and not the guy from Sleeping with the Enemy where all the cans had to be lined up and facing the right way!)

So please if you have $10 lying around and you need a change... get that book and see that it really is LIFE-CHANGING!!!

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God Gave Us Sleep

I was so excited to get this book to read to my boys.  They are 5 and 7 and they loved it.  There are many times that kids do not, I repeat, DO NOT want to listen to their parents.  I am sure that I am just starting to get my taste of it.  This book covers the story of a little polar bear cub who doesn't understand that rest is part of our day.  My boys are the same... they do not want to go to sleep and then wake up upset, just like this little cub when they don't get enough.  But this book seemed to break through to them.  They notice how their days go wrong, as if they woke up on the wrong side of the bed so to speak, if they don't rest enough.

I love this book and am going to get it for a friend to welcome her new baby.  I would love to get more of these books from the series.  For our family having books that speak God's wisdom to us is very important and I am thankful for books like this which help us guide our children.

** I was given this book for FREE as part of the Blogging for Books program.

I really wanted to like it!

My main reason for wanting to read this book was purely the title.  With  my husband and I planning our anniversary trip to Paris, I wanted to be surrounded with all things Parisian.  As I sat down to read it I was instantly lost... and not in a good way.  This book was difficult to follow and I couldn't quite understand who was talking and what it was about.  Perhaps it may be my lack of being "well-read" since I majored in Economics in college but I just couldn't get into it.  By the end of the book I was utterly lost and didn't enjoy it as much as I desperately wanted to.

Many of the characters were interesting and well written and I really liked the idea of The Little Paris Bookshop.  Having never been to Paris I felt I was transported there by her descriptions of the floating bookshop... but the story had me lost, completely and utterly lost.  I hope to pick this book up again one day and see if it is something I can grasp.  Perhaps I rushed into my whole Parisian themed life before I was ready to understand.  I may read it while in Paris or maybe when I return.

** I received this book free by participating in the Blogging for Books program.

I cannot put it down...

Most of my recent reads have been children's books, cookbooks or books about food.  I decided to take a chance and read an actual book... something that didn't have to do with spiders who write words in webs or how to make my own tofu!!

When I picked up The Accident I really didn't know what to expect.  But I was fully surprised to find myself reading at red lights and even hoping I hit a red light so I have a reason to read.  There are very few authors who are able to grab you within the first few pages and actually keep you hooked. 

Chris Pavone has done the amazing with this novel.  His words are so simple and descriptive that I just wanted to be in every single scene.  His words are weaved so expertly that it was like watching a movie and you had no idea the bad guy was going to burst through the backdoor!!  I loved this book so much that I cannot wait to go and read his other novels.  I would highly recommend this book to anyone!!

** Note: I recieved a copy of this book free of charge and am reviewing for Blogging for Books!

My Pictures are Amazing!

I was always praised for my pictures.  Even on film I seemed to have a knack for taking good photos.  I was very apprehensive to switch to digital... I really loved the anticipation of taking my roll of pictures to the drug store and the sweet relief that they turned out.  


But I did it... my husband even took me to the store one day and let me pick out my dream camera.  My pictures got even better.  I was able to look at them and retake if necessary.  After getting this book my pictures have changed dramatically!  I didn't really know how to use my DSLR camera to the best of its features.  She lists step by step how to use it and how to step it up to maximize my investment.  I was able to snap a great photo of my boys for my husband.  I love how simple Me Ra Koh directs you to utilize your camera and get the best images.  I look forward to getting my Christmas card photos started


If you are looking for a simple way to expand your knowledge of taking the best possible photos then this is the book for you!!


**I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review."

A New Way to Love My Kids

When my first son was born I had a ton of ideas of how I was going to parent him.  I made a mental list all the years of living with my parents of what not to do.  We all did.  We would stomp away from our parents saying when I have kids I will let them... fill in the blank!

But I was amazed at how quickly that list went out the door.

I was really excited to open this book and find a new way to handle my children.  Once I read I noticed how I would react differently to them.  I noticed how differently they reacted to me.  These children were beginning to understand me and I, them.  I loved how Milan and Kay laid each idea out and let you take the wheel.  I really love how I was able to work through my long list of things I would never do and actually understand why my parents did those things.

There are few books that I would purchase and give as gifts and this is one of them.  I think that most parents want to find a way to relate and love their children deeper... and this is the answer.

** I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review.

Break-through Understanding!

Most of the books I tend to like are fiction.  Something that can take me away from my everyday life.  But this book dragged my into my life and helped me confront some of things I never understood (not that I completely understand them now).  But this book helped me dive into the minds of my husband and my young sons.

Being a woman, I was drawn to this book.  I wondered what was so secret or special that this book needed to be titled, For Women Only.  I quickly found out why.  I also discovered so many answers as to why my husband acted the way he did during our conversations.  I always wondered by I acted a certain way as well.

This book does a great job of helping you to slowly integrate different techniques in building up the man in your life as well as how to help them give you what you need.  I loved how this book took me step by step through the process.  I would read one chapter and try to integrate the tools I learned into my life.

I have begun to see changes in the men in my life and how we interact.  Even though my sons are young I can still see their "maleness" coming though in how we communicate.  I am so thankful to have read this book.  I am starting, and I stress starting, to understand how their minds work!

One of My Favorite Authors!

I love to read a wide variety of authors but each time that I read anything by Nick Vujicic I am reminded that he is my favorite.  I previously read "Life without Limits" and instantly fell in love with him and his story.  And after reading Limitless I am even more convinced of the plan that God has for me.

I think that many of us question why we are the way we are.  If you walk in faith you know that God created you exactly the way he wanted.  But for many of us that reason makes us crazy.  We often ask why are features are the way they are, why we aren't taller or blessed with great athletic abilities... and so on.  But after reading anything, and especially this devotional but Nick, you are reminded that even a man with no arms or legs but created for a purpose.

I love this book because it shows you each time you read it that God's love for you is beyond your physical attributes.  God loves us for what is on the inside as well as what we do with our love for Him.  Nick challenges us to look beyond the obviousness of our circumstances and see God in our lives.

I highly recommend anything written by Nick and encourage everyone to read his books.  If you know anyone struggling with their faith or in their life in any way, then this is a great book for them!

One Month to a Better Life

The reason why I chose this book was to see if I could create a better relationship between my husband and I.  Boy was I wrong.  Not only did it strengthen our relationship it strengthened ALL my relationships.  This book opened my eyes to the areas where I could improve and create a more meaningful relationship.

I loved the step by step process that this book lead me on.  Not only was I able to implement all the features like being in the moment and letting go of the past but I was able to do it easily.  The fact that this book is set up to work one week at a time was fantastic.  Having a busy schedule meant that I needed to focus on one area at a time.

My life before this book was great.  I had a great relationship with my husband and my children.  But now my relationship with them is so much richer than before.  I don't let the parts of life that don't matter interfere with the parts that do.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking to improve themselves and their emotion well-being!

Vegan in 2013!

It all started with Food Inc. and my innocent notion of wanting to know where my food came from.  Well it is now 4 years later, a ton of documentaries and not a whole lot of change (on my part)!  I continually think I can change my diet and my families diet so easily and it has yet to happen.

Yes, we no longer eat fast food.  In fact my son thinks McDonald's is called Old McDonald's and has only eaten there about 2 times (thanks to his grandmas!).  We rarely eat outside of the house and if we do it is generally sushi or Submarina.  We purchased a juicer after watching Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead and have done countless juice fasts but we are still fighting to get to our goal.

But this time I think I have found my motivation!  I got my blood test results back from the doctor.  Turns out I have high cholesterol.  What!?!  I am a healthy woman in my early 30's, not overweight and have a healthy diet.  How can this be?  So it is with new determination that I start my new goal... I have said it countless times before but I am changing my diet to a plant based diet (in other words... VEGAN!).

It seems like a scary notion... no meat, no eggs and NO CHEESE.  I might be okay with the first two but no cheese, UGH!  So I am going to work into it gradually.  Each month I am slowly going to eliminate one animal product from my diet and end the year as a vegan.

My original goal was to post each week on my progress but it seems that life has gotten in the way.  Here it is the middle of February and I haven't even posted this... So keep an eye out for my progress so far!

The relationship is the knowledge!

When I first picked up this book I wanted to use it as a tool to bring me closer to Christ.  And that is exactly what I got.

I am new in my faith and am eager to get my hands on everything that I can to help me learn more about the bible.  I am taking classes on the bible to get a better understanding.  But I seem to be getting a wealth of knowledge but am no closer to my God then I was when I started.

This is just the book I needed.  My church teaches that we need to be more Christ-like but what does that mean.  Did Christ have an overwhelming understanding of the events of the Bible?  Did he know all the history behind it before and after his death?  Or did he simply understand His Father and preach the truth?

This book helped me to understand that my relationship with God is not just about facts and understanding His word but rather understanding myself in order to grow with Him.  This book guided me in how I interact with my fellow believers and non-believers as a way to grow in my relationship.  While quoting scripture is good it is not everything.

My 5 year old sprain his ankle at the playground and he immediately (after he was done crying) began to pray.  As he took his first steps on that ankle he shouted that the trusted in God.  He knew exactly where to place his faith and where to look for guidance.  This book taught me that I didn't exactly need to know the Bible but more importantly I need to know my God and trust Him.

Freezer Paper Stenciling

My name is Leilani and I am addicted to Freezer Paper Stenciling.

I discovered this technique almost two years ago.  I have made about a dozen shirts for each of my boys and even a few for my husband.  I love having my boys tell me what kind of shirts they want... this way they get to explore their own creative side.

My 5 year old wanted a rainbow octopus... instead of rainbow he chose a few colors and we painted it together...

He most recently commissioned a veggie tales shirt from me.  He really loved their new movie "The League of Incredible Vegetables" and wanted their logo on a shirt.  Since we already had a plain white long sleeve shirt (from his Halloween costume) I decided to start it today.

What you need:

xacto knife
freezer paper (available at grocery stores)
fabric paint
brush
cardboard
inspiration

I like to use images that are simple and more like a stencil than an elaborate drawing.  Their logo was super easy.

Step 1: cut out your image

Make sure that you start with the smaller pieces that you will need to save (in my case the letter V from the center).

Step 2: iron it down

Set your iron to a medium setting with NO STEAM.  Iron down the largest part first then work on positioning the smaller pieces.

** Remember that wherever you place a piece of freezer paper is not going to be painted.

Step 3: paint

First insert a piece of cardboard under the image so that the paint will not bleed to the back.  I like to paint from the outside in.  Making sure that you aren't pushing paint under the stencil.  For this project, I tend to not have much luck on white, I chose to paint the whole image white first.  This way any bleeding will be white and not red.

** Also if you need to paint more than one coat, make sure you let the first one dry completely.  Like with my first layer it will seal the edges of the stencil and prevent bleeding.

Step 4: remove and admire

Many different tutorials that I have seen say that you need to wait for it to dry... I think that you need to wait for it to be slightly dry.  I cannot wait to see my incredible handywork and tend to remove it within a few minutes of completion.

Others have said that you need to put a piece of fabric over it and "seal" the image with an iron and I have never done that either.  All of my images have stayed on for the past few years through many many trips in the washer.

YOU ARE DONE!!  The possibilities are endless and can be so much fun creating new and personal shirts for your family.

Superhero Party!

 My darling son decided he wanted a "Superhero" themed birthday party this year.  We tend to only do parties every other year.  He got a 1st birthday party (because you have to have those cake pictures!), a 3rd birthday and now a 5th birthday party.

I scoured Pinterest for ideas on what to do and found many that I was able to copy and make my own.

The main table... Most of the items I purchased at Dollar Tree.  The backdrop is a simple plastic table cloth with balloons above.  I used some pieces of foam board to make the signs (I wrote it out by hand and used my kids markers to color it in!)  I made the cityscape from foam board and construction paper.

We had a simple "photo booth" area too.  I used more foam board to create the signs the kids held.  My 2 year old didn't understand you shouldn't block your face... but all the kids had fun!

I added the same foam board pieces to his balloon cake from Costco.  I think it turned out awesome and still added to the theme.

This was an idea I found on Pinterest to use plastic tablecloths to decorate the ceiling... I used steamers to fill in the voids... pretty huh?

I also made all the kids, boys and girls, their own superhero mask out of felt.  They had fun running around in them!!

All the kids had a great time.  This party was a ton of fun and I was so proud of all my homemade creations!

Packing!

I have been packing one box a day for the past week or so (okay so some days I pack more than one!)...  Our boys room has turned into a storage locker more than a playroom these days.  We have just over a week before we move and right now I need to focus more on my 4 year olds birthday party so the packing will slow...

Welcome!

Welcome to Mi Casa Tranquila!

My husband and I have been looking for a house to raise our two boys in for about 7 months.  It has been a very long road.  We looked and looked in our current location for 6 months, put in over 25 offers and got 3 accepted.  House #1 needed too much work.  House #2 was not worth was we offered.  House #3 had too many safety issues that the owners were not wiling to fix.  So we made the decision to look outside of our area.  Within 1 month and 6 offers we got an amazing home that we can't wait to move in to!

Our current condo is amazing.  It has 2 bedrooms and 1.5 baths and was absolutely perfect for just the two of us.  Five years later and two small boys and we are bursting at the seams.  Our boys need a yard that they can play and dig in and we need more room to move.

This is the beginning of a new journey for our family, not only moving to a new city but getting to explore, create and grow as a family.