cookies

Currently: July 2018

Somehow another month has arrived. Welcome, July! Do you have any exciting plans for this month? We will be doing lots of preparing for our little gal by working on her room (we have it painted!), taking childbirth education classes, having a baby shower, and attending appointments.

Along with that, we also have work, birthday celebrations for loved ones, and all sorts of fun stuff. It’s going to be a good month! Here’s what’s currently going on in my life 🙂

Current book I’m finishing up the book of Genesis and also reading What Falls from the Sky by Esther Emery. It’s a memoir type book about how the author went a year without the internet and found herself more connected with God. I’m finding it absolutely fascinating.

What Falls From the Sky by Ester Emery book

Current confession I totally want to go to the movie theater and see Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation. I just love kids movies, and we partially named Mavis after the main character in that movie!

Current experiment I ordered our groceries online from Walmart. We’re picking them up today and I’m super curious to see how the experience goes.

Current baked good Blueberry muffin cookies. They taste like the top of a blueberry muffin (aka the best part!).

Blueberry muffin cookies

Current beauty product This moisturizer. I like that it can be used day, night, or as a mask. Pretty versatile!

Current obsession Home organization. I think I’m nesting, haha. I just bought this organizer and can’t believe the difference it has made in freeing up space in our closet.

Current excitement Jimmy told me to pick out a new kitchen faucet for our anniversary! Our old one was a little leaky, and he knew I had been dreaming of out one with a pull down sprayer. We ended up finding this one at a great price on Amazon and he installed it this week. I have a thoughtful, skilled husband!

Matte black kitchen faucet with pull down sprayer

Current procrastination Calling our vet to schedule Mavis’ spaying procedure. I know I need to just get it done because it reduces her risk of cancer later in life, I’m not ready for an “oops” litter of puppies, and don’t feel like going through the “in heat” experience again in six months, lol.

Current goal To catch up on blog reading. I feel like summer is such a busy time, but I just love knowing what’s going on in my blog friends lives. Hoping to get a jump on that this week!

Current blessing A great week of Vacation Bible School at our church. Hannah and I headed up the kitchen this year, which is always nerve-wracking because we’re feeding somewhere around 60 to 70 people each night. It takes a lot of preparation, but it’s always worth it and a lot of fun to serve in this way.

Vacation Bible School Cake and girls serving food

Current need This sign. It’s too funny and some days I feel like taking it seriously 😉

Current app FreePrints. I am just loving this app! You can upload and print 4×6 photos for free and have them shipped to you. The only fee is for shipping. It makes scrapbooking a lot easier when I can upload and print photos right from my phone and get them in the mail a few days later.

Current food Swiss chard from our garden. It was the first thing we harvested this year!

Swiss Chard from vegetable garden in red strainer

Tell me something current in your life!

Adventuring and Getting Creative in the Kitchen

Pittsburgh has been getting some warmer weather and sunshine lately! So much so that we mowed our lawn twice this week and it was warm enough for Mavis and I to take a little adventure to a creek near our house.

Cocker spaniel puppy by water

This was her first experience with a body of water and she was definitely curious, but not super into it. Lola enjoys water, so I wish she had been with us to show Mavis how fun it is, but I’m not confident taking two dogs by the water with an almost 20 week baby bump, lol.

The warmer weather has me dreaming of gardening, too. Jimmy and I were back and forth on starting a garden this year since our baby is due in September and we have done like zero things to prepare for his or her arrival, but we figured we’ll just make the garden smaller this year and if it gets neglected, then oh well. We love gardening too much to give it up 🙂

I’ve been having fun in the kitchen lately! I think my favorite way to cook and bake is to see what we have on hand and then improvise and create meals or treats out of those items.

Tabbouleh ingredients cucumber, tomato, green onions, bulgur and quinoa mix, and lemonTabbouleh

I realized we had some of the classic tabbouleh ingredients on had yesterday, so I improvised off of this recipe and our little side dish turned out wonderfully!

I had also bought a container of cocoa powder and was in the mood for cookies, so I made these chocolate drop cookies and highly recommend the recipe. It’s simple and they definitely hit the spot.

King Arthur Flour Chocolate Drop Cookies on cooling rack

Other ways I’ve been creative in the kitchen lately include whipping up my favorite homemade baked beans and adding some extra spices, making a strawberries and cream oatmeal creation, and cooking cereal bars with marshmallow fluff, vanilla Chex, and Mr. Goodbars.

Alright, I better get going. I’m having my mother-in-law, mom, and sister over this evening and need to clean up our house a bit! I got the kitchen all cleaned from the aforementioned cooking and baking, but the rest has been a bit neglected 😉

Do you like to get creative with cooking and baking?