Friday Finds - Christmas List Edition

Just a short Christmas list of some cute things I've found recently on Etsy.

This print is amazing. LOVE this movie!! ♥

These knitted gloves are so beautiful. I'd love to have them. :)

I just bought this twine from Hobbies from the Heart. Can't wait to use it to decorate packages! :)

Have a very Merry Christmas this year! :)
xo, Jenna

Its the little things...

Like yummy warm cinnamon rolls, made from scratch.

Happy Thursday!

xo, Jenna

Becoming a Momma

I recently found this post and was SO HAPPY someone took the time to write about the things that no one really tells you happens when you have a baby. She is spot on. If you are expecting your first baby, know someone who is, or if you are just plain curious.. Definitely check it out. :)

I will definitely write about this subject in the future, Lord willing.

Til then, here is my sweet baby girl, I, the day after she was born.

xo, Jenna

The Great Pumpkin Patch

The Great Pumpkin Patch is located in Central IL, just a bit outside of Arthur. I have been going there since I was about 8 years old. In the past decade, it has become more popular, and I am so happy for the family that runs it. Martha Stewart has featured them on her show, and visitors from all over the world now have visited this magical little place. My Mom and I took the kiddos last week and it was so much fun. We were blessed with a warm sunny day. They have added more mazes and displays this year, and I am so impressed with how much care and attention to detail the family makes each and every fall season. There is a snack shop (hello cider slushies), gift shop, and delicious bakery. If you are ever able to visit, you most definitely should. There are lots of Amish stores around the area too. Arcola (just a few miles east) has a cute main street with shops, an amazing restaurant- The Dutch Kitchen (try the homemade cinnamon rolls!!), and a Raggedy Ann and Andy museum. I love going down there every year, its a family tradition that I wouldn't ever want to change. :)

On to the pictures! These were all taken and edited by me. Please do not use without permission. As always, you can click on the images to expand.

Hope you enjoyed!

Do you think you'd visit if you had a chance?

Have a great day!

xo, Jenna

Music Monday

The Ember Days.

This band is AWESOME. I can listen to their albums over and over.

Modern praise music, slightly reminiscent of Sigur Ros.

Yes and Yes. :)

Enough talking, I'll just let their beautiful music do the rest.

Oh, and you can download a couple of their albums for FREE at comeandlive.com!

Happy Music Monday!

xo, Jenna

Friday Finds

Happy Friday!

Today I am featuring finds with pretty floral patterns in them :)

These socks are GORGEOUS! I'd love to have some like them.

LOVE this print from Lola's Room! I have a Savoy camera too, its sitting on my shelf being pretty.

These retro mugs are awesome, why can't I ever find any like that?

This artist is genius! I'm getting cross stitching fever, my sweet Mom bought me a Doodle Stitch book for my bday. (Thanks Mom!)

Little me, and my dear Grandma in her floral shirt. I miss her!

What do you think- are florals still okay for fall? Or only for spring?

Have a great weekend!

xo, Jenna

Its the little things...

Like finding a tool bench with tools, for $3 at a garage sale. :)

Happy Thursday!

xo, Jenna



Happy Birthday Mom!

She is clothed with strength and dignity;
   she can laugh at the days to come.
She speaks with wisdom,
   and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
She watches over the affairs of her household
   and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children arise and call her blessed;
   her husband also, and he praises her:
“Many women do noble things,
   but you surpass them all.”
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
   but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Honor her for all that her hands have done,
   and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.
--Proverbs 31:25-31 (NIV)
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
I'm so glad you are the Mom God blessed me with.
I love you so much!

love, Jenna

True Love ♥

This is how God showed His love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
--1 John 4:9-11 (NIV)

Have a blessed day!
xo, Jenna

Its the little things...

Like green eggs (sans ham). :)

(Thursdays will now be "Little Things Thursday")

xo, Jenna

Homeschooling.

I started homeschooling my son this year. He is 4, so technically he's a preschooler. While it isn't always easy, its the best fit for our family. My son is a bit behind in speech, which limits his interactions with.. Well, everyone. I felt like if I sent him to public school he possibly could become the "troublemaker" or the "outsider". He has trouble concentrating. He gets angry if you don't understand what he's saying. He's shy. I love this boy to pieces, and couldn't STAND the thought of him getting made fun of for not being able to speak very well. Children can be extremely cruel. I got made fun of in school, nearly every year. I never felt like I fit in there. I wanted to be with my family. Now that I have my own family, I want to pursue that dream. Getting to be together, teaching my children and focusing on their strengths.. Teaching them about the Lord everyday, praying, reading from the bible, sharing my faith with them.. Is my goal. Is my happiness. I know a lot of people don't like the idea of homeschooling. No way of schooling is completely perfect, I'm just going with what I think is best for my family. I'm willing to change things up if need be. But I just wanted to share my decision. and why my blog isn't updated all that much. It takes up a lot of time to homeschool. Every nap that I takes, its time for me and B to do school work. When she doesn't sleep very long, we have to do it later in the day. We've been at this for 7 weeks now. Its exciting praying and letting God direct me in teaching my son. On my own, I fail. I get frustrated and impatient. With God's grace, I let go. He is guiding me. He knows my son perfectly, and when I let God direct us, its amazing to see how much B learns. I love my God so much, He is so GOOD! I can't keep that quiet at all. Friends, Jesus died for you and me, so that we can be free. He is my Rock and Reedemer. His love never fails, it endures forever.

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. --Psalm 19:14

Have a great day! :)
xo, Jenna

A-Z of me

This is a silly little A-Z that I've seen on some of my favorite blogs, and I thought I'd play along for fun. :)

A. Age: 26
B. Bed size: Full... (Omygosh I can't wait to get a bigger bed.)
C. Chore that you hate: Dishes.
D. Dogs: They are super cute, but too much work. And my son is allergic to their saliva(!)
E. Essential start to your day: Eating a good meal and spending time with my kiddos. (I used to think that eating breakfast was disgusting)
F. Favorite color: Gray, green
G. Gold or Silver:  Silver. I haven't liked gold since I was 10.
H. Height: 5’ 8 1/2"ish
I. Instruments you play: none currently, but used to play the bass, guitar, piano and trumpet. I could also play a mean recorder! :)
J. Job title: Stay at home Momma, Etsy shop owner
K. Kids: 2 beautiful sweet kiddos
L. Live: East Central IL
M. Mother’s name: Jan
N. Nicknames: Jen, JJ, Wifey, Waffle (from my son)
O. Overnight hospital stays: When my children were born
P. Pet peeves:  People squeeking food from their teeth
Q. Quote from a movie:  "It's a documentary. It's all really happening!" -Life Aquatic
R. Right or left handed: Right
S. Siblings: 1 brother, 1 half sister, 1 half brother (and another half sister on the way!) and 3 step-brothers, also 2 half siblings are in heaven.
U. Underwear: is essential.
V. Vegetable you hate: I love my veggies very much. Brussel sprouts, however, are gross.
W. What makes you run late:  Poor planning
X. X-Rays you’ve had: Spine/neck, teeth, head
Y. Yummy food that you make: I love to bake sweet treats!
Z. Zoo animal: Polar bears are suuuper cute.


Happy Monday! Have a great day!
xo, Jenna

I ♥ Pancakes.

If there is one thing you should know about me, its that I LOVE pancakes. To me, breakfast food is good anytime of the day, or night. Do you agree?

Well, the other morning I had the urge to make some pancakes, homemade style. I looked up a recipe and tweaked it a little bit to come up with....

Yep. Peanut butter and banana go quite well together. They are a delicious pair in this yummy made-from-scratch pancake! (Oh, and don't worry- I didn't eat 4 of them!)

Here's the recipe. Adapted from this one.

Ingredients: 

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2-1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk, any kind will work
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 ripe banana   
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Then:

In one bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder.

In another bowl, combine milk, water, peanut butter, 1/2 a ripe banana (smashed), and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth.

Pour wet ingredients into dry. Mix until just combined. Do not overmix.

Chop up remaining half of banana and put bits into the batter.

Grease hot griddle, or pan. Pour desired amt of batter into pan, flip when golden brown.

Enjoy! :)

I wanted to mention a couple other tidbits too.

*I've been using agave nectar as my "syrup" lately, and its so good! Try it. Its cheaper than maple syrup, and WAY better for your than cheapo pancake stuff (which is filled with high fructose corn syrup).

*These pancakes freeze and reheat very well. Perfect to make on a Saturday morning and save for the upcoming week! Just pop in the toaster on the frozen setting for a couple minutes.

Have a great day!
xo, Jenna

Today, is my b-day.

:)

I couldn't help but think of The Office today. Michael Scott is a big believer in birthday celebrations. Here is a clip that is hilarious.



I'm gonna hang out with my sweet kiddos and hubby, eat some yummy food, and maybe go shopping.

Hope you have a wonderful day!
xo, Jenna

Friday Finds

Happy Friday! I'm really excited that Barry has a 3 day weekend :) Aaand next Tuesday is my birthday, so I'm looking forward to that as well.

This Friday Finds is birthday wish-list related. Woo hoo!

As I mentioned yesterday, I need a coffee cup. Here is one I really like, found on Modcloth.

Ohmygoodness. I have wanted an Instax Mini for a looong time. So awesome.

Why is everything on my list white so far? Haha, I don't know, but I do know that these Vans are AMAZING!

Subscriptions to Atomic Ranch, and Dwell. I am in LOVE with midcentury homes, and modern decorating. ♥

I've had this t-shirt from New Duds on my wish list for awhile. So cute! :)

These button plugs by Omerica have also been on the wishlist for awhile. Love!

Finally, this Women's Devotional Bible would be great to have! My bible is too big to carry in my purse, I'd love to have a compact one.

Even if I don't receive any presents on my birthday, I have so many blessings in my life. I have a wonderful family, health, a home, and so much more. :) I'm very thankful to God for all that He gives me.

With that, I hope you have a fantastic day.
xo, Jenna