KIND Healthy Grains Bars Review

KIND so kindly (crack myself up) sent me a bunch of their brand-new Healthy Grains bars to review. We all know how much I love their regular bars (see my review of those here), so I was more than happy to try these out. They have 5 flavors: Oats & Honey, Dark Chocolate Chunk, Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate, Vanilla Blueberry, and Maple Pumpkin Seed. I love how creative the folks at KIND are with their flavors!

The Vanilla-Blueberry (one of my favorite flavors) was a great mid-morning snack when I was running errands, sending birthday mail and picking up presents. Such a filling snack and a cheerful burst of flavor to keep me going.

I also enjoyed the Dark Chocolate Chunk while writing out some notes. The Maple-Pumpkin Seed was my least favorite and, surprisingly, the “plain” Honey & Oats was actually my most favorite. 
I love KIND’s marketing and philosophy. “KIND Healthy Grains Bars are all natural granola bars made from ingredients you can see and pronounce.” Well, this one does have amaranth and quinoa, so that might be a stretch for some of us, but you get the point. Real food here. Nourishing snacks. Something to fuel you not make you feel guilty. And don’t worry about that dark chocolate…I’ve done my research and it’s definitely good for us 😉 #seriouslythough
Overall, these are crunchier than the regular KIND bars, which is good and bad. Good if you like crunchy. Bad if you like to throw it in your purse and carry it around for 2 weeks before you eat it (like me), because they break into a million tiny pieces. Some were drier than others, and I’m not sure why, but I liked them when they weren’t toooooo dry. I would definitely pick up the Oats & Honey and the Vanilla Blueberry bars again. I’ll just be sure to keep them in a secure pocket so I don’t end up licking crumbs from the package. Don’t even try to pretend you’ve never done that 😉

Thanks so much to KIND for letting me try their new goodies! Pick a few up and let me know what you think in the comments! 
xo
Natalie

Warby Parker & Why Nerd Glasses Aren’t For Me

{hi hat hair!}
Ya’ll are as obsessed with Warby Parker’s advertising as I am, right? So great. I want to LIVE the Warby lifestyle. Unfortunately, I think I’ve come to the conclusion through their Warby Parker Home Try-On Program that so-called “Nerd Glasses” are not for me. 
Their Home Try-On program is sheer genius, though, and really takes the guess-work out of choosing glasses online. It’s simple: you choose 5 pair you want to try on, and they send you the frames in the mail. You have 5 days to try them out, then you use the pre-paid return label to pop them back in the mail at the UPS station. Easy and did  I mention free? So much fun. So of course I simply HAD to take them up on this offer and try them out (yes, even though I just bought new glasses!). I mean, it’s Warby Parker, you guys! PS> I was compensated by Warby Parker for this post, though the opinion and words are entirely my own. These are affiliate links. 
Here is the selection I tried! Top to bottom: 

The Webb and Nedwin were atrocious on me, so I’m not even going to show you those. The Holcomb is cute for a fun pair, but not something I would be likely to wear everyday. I loved the classic tortoise half-rims with a bit of a cat-eye though. Such a cute shape.















Now, on to some fun big sunglasses. We all know how much I love me some big sunglasses.The Reilly in Marzipan Tortoise was a simply gorgeous pair of sunglasses, but not my favorite for my face shape. 
















Now, though, the Mable did not disappoint. I adore the traditional tortoise and the octagonal shape. Classy, fun, bit of a vintage vibe. Sunglasses perfection!

Overall, the Warby Parker big sunglasses definitely won out in my book over any of the “nerd glasses.” I think very heavy glasses overwhelm my features and are a bit heavy for me. This Home Try-On program was well worth it though, and while it does require a credit card “just in case,” they don’t charge anything up front and the entire process is free. 
Head on over to WarbyParker and get a box of beautiful glasses sent to your house. I’m pretty sure you’ll find at least one you love!
xo
Natalie 

Restless by Jennie Allen

So I just finished this book. And it wrecked my heart in the most powerful, beautiful, messy way. Really laid me bare in my heart in perfect timing. I’m starting B-school  (an online business school) today, and I have been really struggling because I had so many ideas and I wasn’t sure which direction to go. Needless to say, I was Restless. But then this beautifully designed book arrived at my doorstep on Friday afternoon, right around the time I had finished my deadlines for the week. I picked up its matte cover, which felt so nice in my hands, and read a few words. These words, on the very first page after the title page, the Dedication page: 

“You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in You.” ~Saint Augustine
God, You are home to me. Take these words and light fires that cannot be put out-for Your fame on this earth in our time. 

I mean, those words spoke to something so deep in my heart at a time of searching. They captivated me, and I kept reading. I read and dreamed and scribbled and bookmarked and made many many pink notes in this book and my nootebook. God freed something in my soul through this book.
Jennie’s premise is: God’s story + our threads (the gifts God has given us, what makes our heart sing, and what we’ve struggled with) + the need + The Holy Spirit = My Purpose. 
As I nervously investigated the threads of my life, and humbly held out hands and memories before God, I found the most beautiful thing. I found my purpose. 
 Jennie really leads you through a God-focused, Holy-Spirit-driven plan of action to help you uncover your purpose for God’s glory.  I shed a lot of tears and I laughed out loud more than once. I’m pretty sure Jennie and I would be great friends. 
My own purpose and dreams will take some time. But the sharing of this book? That can start right now. Jennie Allen has created something brilliantly inspired here, so touching and warm, so personal and yet downright big. Big enough to change the world. So grab this book, my dear friends, get your pink (or purple or blue or red) pen and let’s get our hearts and lives a bit messy for God’s glory. 
If you’re with me, let’s participate in this journey together AND with Jennie Allen herself! I’m SO thrilled about this, ya’ll. If you have a local Christian bookstore, I highly suggest you support them and buy this book there. It’s so important to have those in our communities! If not, the cheapest price I found was on Christian Book Distributors, or you can get the Kindle version on Amazon. 
THEN sign up for the live book club with Jennie Allen that happens *tonight* and the next few weeks. Week 1 is already here.
Oh friends, let’s bring our lives and our ‘threads’ before God. It’s going to be so very beautiful. 
xo
Natalie

PS> I was provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for my true and honest opinion.

Craftsy Class Giveaway-CLOSED

I have some exciting news, friends! This week I’m giving away a Craftsy photography class! Have you heard about Craftsy? Some of the top experts at craft, arts, and photography have collaborated to create online classes so you can up your knitting/cake decorating/artisan bread baking/photography skills (and more!). 
 I’m working through their mini class on family portraiture, and I’m enjoying the format of video lessons presented by true professionals in a welcoming way. The classes are inexpensive ($30-60 roundabout) and manageable to complete in a short amount of time. 
Here are just a FEW of the amazing photography classes available on Craftsy. I’m particularly taken with Shoot It! A Product Photography Primer. 
Since I’m currently learning how to take my photography to the next level, I thought I’d let you learn with me! My word for the year is BETTER and Craftsy classes are a great place to start.
Photography Class Giveaway
with Craftsy
Ends Friday, March 14, at 12 midnight eastern time. One entry per person, please.
Click here to enter: Enter to win a Craftsy class
Closed! Winner will be chosen the week of 3/17 🙂

Have fun gettin’ crafty and I can’t wait to see who wins! 
xo
Natalie
PS.> This post contains affiliate links.
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Red Lips + Friday Vlog

Hi friends! It’s Friday and that means another caffeinated vlog from moi 😉 
The Friday Things: 
1.) I’d love to invite YOU to think up a creative act of humble service for someone close to you. It’s so much fun and I promise you’ll be the recipient of the love just as much as the person you bless. 
2.) I’m thinking this lipstick is too much for my pale winter skin right now. Oh well, some days a girl just needs the red lipstick, #amIright? 
3.) Jennie Allen’s Restless. Get it.

4.) The song that has the line about chaos to order that I am digging right now.

4.) Maple latte perk your interest? Make it at home, my lovelies! 1/3 of the cup with espresso or hot, strong brewed coffee, 2/3 steamed milk (foamed if you have a whisk or aerator) and 1 Tablespoon maple syrup. Top with the foam from the milk and a drizzle of maple syrup. 
Enjoy in a Kate Spade mug because #Friday. 
xo
Natalie
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Five Minute Friday: Choosing to Accept

Linking up with Lisa-Jo for Five Minute Friday…She gives us all a writing prompt and we write, uninterrupted, with very little editing for 5 minutes. Imperfect but real… Today’s word is: CHOOSE.
{Go}

We all choose. Every single day, choosing, choosing. Which tea to have for breakfast (right now I’m loving Bigelow’s White Chocolate Kisses), how many chocolate chips to put on the oatmeal (it’s Friday–a decent handful). And the big decisions, sometimes even the subconscious ones: Choosing to show up to work with a smile on your face. Choosing to feel beautiful, even if you’ve been told otherwise by people in your life. Choosing to step out on a precariously thin limb, knowing that God is the one who sways the trees and can make you fly off that branch into blue sky dreams. These are bold choices, sometimes even reckless in the face of the world’s desires.

See God calls us to choose. We must choose. It’s one of the biggest pieces of this glorious puzzle He’s got: We choose. 
We choose to accept Him. 
We choose to accept Love. 
We choose to see with His holy eyes instead of our dusty, earthly ones.

Yes, He can love us through and through but without our choice, it is not a relationship. So, too, it is on earth, here, that we must choose, and choose, and choose again: To accept love. For the more love we accept, the more love we have to give. And that, my friends, makes the world a much more beautiful place.

{stop} 

Five Minute Friday
      Today’s Linkup

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By the Water

Absolutely LOVING these verses in the Message version. With all of your passion AND intelligence, not by brute strength. 
“Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’” Matthew 22:37
because 
“Cursed is the strong on who depends on mere humans,
Who thinks he can make it on muscle alone and sets God aside as dead weight.” Jeremiah 17:5
but the man who trusts in the Lord 
“will be a like a tree planted by the water, and will not fear when the heat comes; But its leaves will be green, And it will not be anxious in a year of drought Nor cease to yield fruit.” Jeremiah 17:8

The photo of me above is during a drought season. A life-drought: a tough string of years. A time where I tried to stand by the water but I think my roots were only nourished by my tears. One Sunday afternoon, my parents and I went down by the River. The wind was blowing something fierce (can you tell by my hair?). It was a little too late in the day to be down there without a sweater. But I love this photo in front of the giant tree down by the water and the fact that somehow, somehow there is light in my eyes. 
Looking at it reminds me: 

Let’s go to the water, my dears.
If we are in a year of drought, perhaps its time to think, am I loving God with my passion, prayer, and intelligence? Or am I setting him aside and using my own strength? 

xo
Natalie

What I’m Looking for in the Man I Marry


Time for a word-heavy post! So grab a cup of tea and let’s chat…

I’ve been told time and time again that who you marry is the second-most important decision you make in life, right after accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. Woah, hey there, that’s some kinda pressure! 

It stuns me to think of the responsibility and privilege and weight of being married. Godly marriage is one of the most beautiful, blessed things a person could ever enter into. It’s holy. The idea is scary-as-all-get-out sometimes, too, if I’m being honest. It’s not something I take lightly in the slightest. But I’m also just really excited about being a wife. I think it’s going to be amazing, and a role and season of life that I am excited to embrace and explore.
In light of all of this, out there in this great big crazy dating world, how does one sift through the possibilities to find the potential? I’ve done my fair share of sifting, and I’ve found a few non-negotiables for the man I marry.  
I thought I’d share with you a few of the things from MY “list” (as inspired by Ali and her list). 
1.) A spiritual leader, willingly, unequivocally, and with my blessing (Ephesians 5:22-33): This has always been something I’ve struggled with. First off, I’ve seemed to always end up dating immature Christians. Secondly, it seems that oftentimes men are not taught what this looks like if it was lacking in their own home growing up. Thirdly, I’m pretty independent and a little bit (lot bit?) stubborn, so actually submitting and wholeheartedly accepting someone else as the spiritual leader has been difficult for me in the past. But this is non-negotiable, and requires work and commitment from both parties.

2.) Equally yoked (2 Corinthians 6:14): I used to think this just meant “don’t marry an unbeliever” but now I have a more in-depth understanding of how God can create two people who are equally yoked in more ways that you can count or imagine. It’s utterly beautiful. I spent a lot of time (and I mean A. LOT. of time) with my mom and best friend trying to figure out what sort of man/personality type would fit with me. I’m a pretty unique person/personality type, and I’m the first to admit I’m not always the easiest one to “get” right away. But the truth is, you don’t need a “type” of man that would fit. You just need one. And God is faithful.

3.) Someone who is in a place in life where they are ready to get married (1 Corinthians 13:11): I’m not looking for a boy. I’m looking for a man. I’m looking for someone who seeks to serve the Lord with his finances, his career, his relationships, and his whole heart. I’ve dated guys who weren’t ready to get married and I’ve poured myself into them, tried to “love them” into growing up, etc. etc. Doesn’t work, friends. Let’s find men who are secure in Christ and secure in who they are BEFORE we show up on the scene.

4.) Someone who accepts me completely as I am, and yet makes me want to be a better person in all areas of life (Philippians 4:8 and 1 Corinthians 13:4-8): I want to be with someone who brings out the best of all of me. I’ve dated guys before who brought out one facade of my personality beautifully. One guy I dated brought out the nurturer in me in a lovely way, yet he never got to experience passionate-about-life Natalie. I want someone who makes me want to be better for him, for God, for my family, for my friends, for my employer, for everyone I meet in daily life. Someone who has seen my weaknesses and still chooses to love me and walk beside me. “I have seen the best of you and the worst of you and I choose both.” ~Sara Kay

5.) Someone who inspires me. (Ephesians 2:10). This might not be important for everyone, but for me, it is crucial. I’ve dated boys before with whom I never shared a word of my poetry with and never spilled a drop of ink about them onto the page. To me, that means they weren’t bringing life out of me, or pouring life into me. My creative spirit and soul is one of the gifts God has given me, and I want a man who isn’t afraid to engage that. This requires emotional intelligence, something that oftentimes men haven’t exercised enough to fully develop. He needn’t be interested in the exact same things I’m interested in or see the world through the exact same lenses I do. I’m looking for someone with the time and space in their life, heart, and mind to engage with my passions and their own. 

I found my “list” from 2008…and the majority of it still rings true, though it was me-focused, rather than God-focused. I thought it would be fun to share just for comparison: 

“I want a man who knows the value of a promise. Who keeps his promises.I want a man who believes that marriage is holy and is forever.I want a man who makes me absolutely a better version of myself (not just the other way around).I want a man who has both common sense and utter nonsense.I want a man who thinks I am cute when I make a few too many stupid jokes in a day, and when I laugh a little too loudly at something in my head.I want a man who will know when I’m in just a little too deep, and will give me that helping hand.I want a man who knows that occasionally I do get in a little too deep, but usually I am just fine.I want a man who is strong enough to be the spiritual leader for our family. And by that, I also mean, I want a man who wants a family and is a “family man”. I want a man who loves me FOR my quirks, not in spite of them.I want a man who is able to see through me even when I just keep staring straight ahead.I want a man who appreciates the little things I choose, like nice towels and hand soaps; who knows exactly what I want, but surprises me still the same; who is okay with the fact that I am a major dork; who knows that I always want the honest answer even if I don’t like it; who will like to cook with me; who will sleep out under the stars with me JUST because I *want* to.“

There are so many other things I could tell you I’m looking for. The little things. But when it comes right down to it, the truth of the matter is this: I’m looking for someone I CAN’T WAIT to do every day life with. Who can’t wait to do every day life with me. I’m looking for the one God gives me. 
And I’m also working on a post of What I’m Hoping to BE for the Man I Marry…comin’ up soon! 🙂

So…what’s on your list? Am I way off track?

xo
Natalie

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