Category: Uncategorized

{This week I’m giving you my tried & true, tested, specific ideas for getting out of a slump!}

Tuesday:

{overnight oats with banana, sunflower nut butter, and chocolate-covered cacoa nibs for the win!}

A solid breakfast in the morning consistently really helps me when I’m feeling out of sorts. It takes a teeny tiny bit of effort, but the results are so worth it. I actually enjoy the routine of making my overnight oats at night and relishing the fact that I will have a refreshing, healthy breakfast to grab while I read my #HelloMornings. I wake up, start my tea water, and check in with HelloMornings. Then I top my oats, make my tea, and settle in to read scripture for awhile. Such a good way to bring light back to your heart. To get in the habit of making my oats, I made a fridge chart and made them every weekday for a week. Then I did it the next week. Now it’s second nature!

In a bowl combine: 

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats (gluten-free if need be)

1/2 cup yogurt (I like banana or raspberry)

1/2 cup milk (I’ve been doing coconut milk or almond milk)

Glug of maple syrup

1 tsp. flax seeds

Mix well, cover, and refrigerate overnight. It’s that easy, and it uses one measuring cup and one spoon. In the morning, top it up! I usually do banana, chocolate-covered cacao nibs, and sunflower nut butter, but I switch it up sometimes. Try adding jam or dried fruit, fresh berries, or anything else you can come up with! I fiddle the first week with several overnight oats recipes with different ratios, and this was my personal favorite. But feel free to add more or less liquid as you please.

Enjoy!

xo

Natalie

{good ol’ dr. seuss}

Hey guys? I think this is a really important series I’ve got planned for this week. For you and for me. Lately I’ve been giving some extra attention to my health and well-being to revitalize my spirit. It has been a hard year or two for me, but this year (and summer especially) I got my feet back under me and I’ve started feeling my heart come back to life. It’s scary, difficult, exciting, and wonderful at the same time, and utterly necessary. As Dr. Seuss says, “Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.” But I’ve got some tips to share what is working for me!

Monday:
SCRIPTURE//HelloMornings

Starting my day with scripture immediately has changed my morning and my days for the better significantly. Reading God’s word FIRST thing in the morning gives me a sense of purpose and direction for the day, something we are often searching for when we’re ‘slumped.’ My pastor mentioned this idea first, and then I met HelloMornings online. HelloMornings are online accountability groups for morning scripture reading (and exercising and day-planning sometimes, too!). The groups check in daily online and read scripture together, share thoughts, and pray. Even though we are spread across many states, we invest in one another’s lives and encourage and uplift each other. It is a great community and it has profoundly impacted me this summer. I am so stoked that the fall session starts TODAY! I’m afraid all of the fall groups are full, but keep an eye on their blog, hashtag (#hellomornings) and my Twitter (I love our conversations on Twitter, ya’ll!) to follow along. You’re sure to glean some wisdom. And join us in the winter session! You can also try YouVersion. It works for a ton of people but I never really got the hang of it, maybe because I don’t have a tablet or smartphone. I find that starting with something online makes me all the more excited to dig into my actual Bible and physical devotional. In any case, I highly suggest a routine that starts with God’s word first and foremost. It might mean getting up a bit earlier, carving out a bit of quiet time before the morning rush, but I promise you, it’s worth it. When He is speaking into our lives, we’re bound to feel our hearts coming back to life. 

xo

Natalie

Such a good reminder. 

Be generous in love! 

xo

Natalie

This is just one of those songs. Those whole-heart-handed-over songs. A lost-in-worship song. A prayer-of-my-heart song. {I love hyphens, have we noticed?}

May you lean in closer to God, today, friends. 

xo

Natalie

{gold glitter cards from target in dollar store frames//(in)courage Postcards from God’s Beach House held up with flowered washi tape}

I’ve been working on a few little details for my apartment lately. Just happy-pretty things. Nothing fancy or expensive here! In fact, nothing much new aside from the gold glitter “art”…everything else I already had–just rearranged or re-appropriated!

{marimekko tin//milk glass vase//milk glass tray//locally handmade bowl//flowers from a friend//liberty of london for target lucite box//pink aviators//clock (gift) from pottery barn//old-as-the-hills etched glass jewelry box I’ve fixed a million times}

{naptime diaries printable & two pages from Life:Beautiful with scripture//bird on branches hooks from joanne’s//thrifted scalloped cream wall box//weekend hats//basket with scarves & umbrellas//planners ready for the week//old schooldesk with library books}

{close up! gold glitter!}

{other happy little details lately}

I really believe that our surroundings affect us profoundly.

I love “making home” and “pretty-ifying” as I say 🙂

It does my heart so much good!

xo

Natalie

Words for my Monday heart//

Corkboard style today//

So, so good.

xo

Natalie

Gah these words jumped into my heart from my quiet time this morning. 

I simply HAD to record them for all of us. 

Chalkboard Wisdom TWO. 

Feel free to share, print, or pin! 

xo

Natalie 

Feel free to pin, my darlings! Just hover over the image and click the Pin It! heart. 

xo

Summer Snacks by fashionatalie on Polyvore

Oooo-eee I’ve found some good snackin’s lately 🙂

Here are some of my favorite gluten-free snacks:

1.) Van’s “Lots of Everything” crackers: The taste and texture of a Wheat Thin, with the toppings of an Everything bagel. Lots of good whole-grains, too. Eat by the handful!
2.) Maine Roots Maple-Lemonade: AMazing. SO delicious. 
3.) So Delicious Coconut Milk Ice Cream Bars: Yummy and dairy-free, too.
4.) Kettle Style Chilean-Lime Avocado Oil Potato Chips: Delicious and actually good-for-you sorta fat. Amazing.
5.) KIND bars: Any and all flavors, but the +Protein ones are great this time of year to bring on hikes or adventures.
6.) Jovial Fig-Filled Cookies: I’ve been a BIG fan of Jovial’s cookies for a long time, but I normally pick up the chocolate (because it tastes like a fudge pop-tart). But this time I got the Fig and they are *amazing*. Yum.

Enjoy!