Skype date! plus ginger snaps!

Today I got to have a skype date with my husband while he is pulled into port. Every time I see his name come up on skype butterflies seem to flutter in my stomach. The same feeling happens with emails, my heart seems to skip a beat for a second while I open it. Seeing him is always so amazing - technology is really a blessing when it comes to a situation like this. I feel so grateful that we get these kind of "luxuries", if you will, during a difficult time away from each other. Way back when, it would be months until you received a letter in the mail from your loved one overseas. I'm so thankful that we get to correspond almost everyday and we get to see each others faces when the time - and the wi fi connection - comes along. I miss him so much but seeing him makes my whole day so much brighter.

I started week two of my 5k training. Wow. You really wouldn't think thirty extra seconds of running would make a difference but it really, really does. I am feeling great these past two weeks since I have started and after running I feel so empowered and motivated. It makes me want to do more - eat healthier, take more yoga or pilates classes, and really stick with it. Some of my friends and one of my amazing cousins, who is a runner and has done multiple races, will be running the race too! I'm so excited to share this experience with them and have fun while doing it!

After I spoke to my husband, I was a very happy girl. And what do I do when I am happy? I bake! I seem to bake when I am sad too, so pretty much I am baking no matter what. Today I wanted to make something that I adore and could never get tired of - ginger snaps. Did you know ginger has many health benefits, including gastrointestinal relief (motion sickness is a great example), anti-inflammatory effects, and immune system boosting agents just to name a few. This recipe, which I found on allrecipes.com but made some modifications to, has NO BUTTER, only 1 egg, and 1 cup of brown sugar. This cookie is one to keep in your back pocket for when you want a little something sweet - or when you have a belly ache.

Homemade Ginger Snaps

1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 cup white sparkling sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease cookie sheet with cooking spray.
Combine brown sugar, oil, molasses, and egg in a large bowl or in the bowl of your electric mixer attached with a paddle attachment. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and spices in a separate bowl, making sure everything is mixed thoroughly. Add flour mixture to brown sugar mixture in small batches, mixing until combined.
Add the white sparkling sugar into a separate small bowl. Roll dough into 1 to 1 1/4 inch balls and dip just one side of the dough balls into the sugar. Place sugar side up on the baking sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet for 2 or 3 minutes. Remove and let cool on cooling racks completely.

Happy baking! :)

Laura

5k training day two PLUS a DIY antique planter

Today was day two of training for my 5k race. I officially have legs of jello but I feel great. I never understood my friends and family who said they LOVE the feeling after running or working out in general. Everytime I worked out I just felt tired. I know what they mean now - I feel empowered, motivated, and even more determined to keep up with it. Yesterday I signed up for the race too, so I really can't back out now even if I wanted to. Even more determination to look and feel great! I just need to find some workouts to do at home or on the days I don't train. Do you have any suggestions or workouts you do to tone up?

I also took advantage of a day off and I worked on my garden a bit. Did some weeding, replanted some flowers, cleaned up a bit. A while back, my husband and I went antiquing (a new found love of mine! who knew there was so much cool stuff out there that you can revamp into your own?!) to find a window pane for a table we made - I will show you that another day. While looking around, we found this really beautiful wooden barrel that we were both immediately drawn to. What it was used for? I have no idea. However, the barrel was in great condition and we knew we wanted to use it somehow. We brought it home and really couldn't find a use for it inside our house. Kingston loved it as a hideout spot though.

Then I decided to make it into a planter! It was super easy and looks great by our door. First I used a clear spar urethane gloss spray to protect the wood from the sun, temperature changes and moisture. I used a brand called Helmsman, comes in a green can and I got it at walmart in the paint section with the stains and polyurethane. I did three light coats both inside and out. The only thing this, it turned the wood slightly more amber, but I thought the finish was great. I let that dry outside overnight.

I then drilled 7 small holes on the bottom for proper drainage. Proper drainage is essential for potted plants to grow beautiful and healthy!

To ensure the barrel was protected from the moisture of the soil and water I lined the inside with a 9 x 13 heavy duty plastic drop cloth. Of course I didn't use the whole thing, so I cut it in half. I'll have the rest for a small room I want to paint or maybe another planter one day! I made sure the drop cloth went down to the bottom of the barrel and it's pressing against the inside of it, so that way I'm getting the most room out of my container. Also, I cut holes in the drop cloth where I made the drill holes on the bottom so that way they line up.

I cut the excess plastic but made sure to leave some over the edge. I didn't want to pour the soil in and have the drop cloth slip on the inside. Then I planted my flowers! I wanted something a little taller, so I did lilies in the back (one of my favorite flowers!), dahilas in the middle (another one of my favorites!) and accent plants in the front (I used creeping jenny, I believe)

When I was finished planting, I finally trimmed up the rest of the plastic so that was it was flush with the top of the barrel. You can see a little bit of the plastic from the outside, but I know that the accent plants will grow over the sides and the dahilas will get more leaves so I am not sweating it.

This is the end result! I am thrilled with it and I am happy I got to turn something antique into something new! This would also be great with an old wooden milk crate as well, maybe for herbs or veggies? I can't wait to find more hidden treasures and give them a little pick me up! :)

- Laura

"tough times never last, but tough people do"

You may have noticed I have been absent from posting on my blog. In the past few weeks, I have been going through some tough things that have really tested my strength. Never in my wildest dreams did I think this would happen to me. And the words even sting my heart now as I am about to type them out. However, I feel being vocal and speaking of how I am feeling is one way that I will start to feel better about it all. If I keep it bottled up inside I am afraid it will just explode out of me and I will not be able to control it. This way I can feel like I am working through the ups and downs. Unfortunately, I recently had a miscarriage with our first baby.

When I first found out I was pregnant, Matt had just left for deployment and I was already feeling emotional. Seeing that word "Yes" on the pregnancy test, my whole world changed. I knew I wasn't very far along, maybe 4 or 5 weeks, but I took multiple test in a row that all said I was pregnant. I was excited, scared, nervous, but overall blissfully happy. I have always wanted to be a mother and this was really happening with the man of my dreams. I told my husband and he couldn't believe it either. We were both thrilled!

About a week later, I started to have some symptoms that I didn't feel were right. Freaked out, I told a friend and she meet me at the emergency room. I was so scared but in the back of my mind I was thinking everything would be okay. I was even hoping to get an ultrasound so I could see the baby, because at this point I hadn't had one yet. Long story short and sparing all the TMI details, my symptoms started getting worse and worse. They did numerous tests and a ultrasound, but deep down in my heart I just knew that I had lost it. I was sent home that day with feelings of complete sadness, confusion, pain, and guilt. I felt like it was all my fault - that I did something that caused this. And while I know that isn't true, that this is something that just simply "happens", it's hard not to feel that way. I told Matt about it all and he said of course he was disappointed and upset - but he knew that this wasn't going to stop us from trying again in the future. He is always my rock even from so far away.

Time has passed and everyday I think about it. I don't think it's something that I will ever NOT think about. I am still struggling with the fact that I was pregnant and planning all these exciting things for the future, and now I'm not. The little miracle that I felt so protective over, is gone. Maybe I am being too hard on myself, but everyday has to be a new day that I learn how to deal with these emotions. I look at my friends pregnant or with kids and it makes me sad for me, but so incredibly happy for them - because I know now how precious of a gift having a child is. This loss has also tested me as a military wife, as this is something that I have to go through without my husband physically by my side. Military spouses often have to be put in situations that require the strength of both parties, and this is definitely one of those situations. My husband is an amazing man and even though he can not be with me right now to hold me close or wipe my tears away, he is so supportive and reassures me that everything will be okay. I know we will be blessed with another miracle again and when that time comes, we will be able to share the experience every step of the way. That is a blessing in itself.

Since all of this has happened, I have really taken a step back and thought about all the positive changes I want to make. I have decided to train to run a 5k race, my first one ever. I think it will be amazing to have something to focus on and to use as a tool to get healthy. Eating right is also something I want to take more seriously. I have considered myself a healthy eater as an adult, but now I'm more deteremined than ever to stick with it. Most definitely there will still be baking going on, but maybe in a healthier way. I have been feeling a creative buzz going through me, so I would love to explore that and be more crafty and thrifty. Positivity is something I want to surround myself with in my daily life and I feel like this is a great way to start. I want to be a stronger woman, both inside and out.

Thank you in advance for all the support and advice you are willing to give. And most importantly, thank you for reading and giving me the chance to speak from my heart. <3

- Laura