MWW- Trust the Trustworthy one!

I’m gonna keep this MWW post short and sweet- but I promise it will be thought provoking! Mike and I are taking a financial stewardship class at Watermark, and although we missed the first night we listened to the podcast of the lesson yesterday and it was fantastic. My sweet friend Ashleigh did an amazing blog post about it here. The bottom line of the lesson was “Do you trust God?” To determine if someone is trustworthy you have to know two things: their character and their capability. Do you know that God is good? Do you know that He is able?

I would say it’s easier to answer those questions with words and much harder to live them out. I can say that He is good and that He is able… but do I live in a way that reflects those words? The truthful answer is- not all the time, but I sure am trying. When life is easy I could answer those questions easily with no thought. When life is rough it is much harder for me. Am I trusting the Lord in the midst of this painful broken world we live in? Am I trusting Him even when I can’t see His goodness or His ability in the trials of this life?

What does how you are living today say about your trust in the Lord?

MK smiling for the camera today- does anyone else think the iPhone front camera makes your face long?  

Love,
K Vog

April Meal Plan!

Brainstorming meals for April in my little blue book (aka, my brain- if I lost it I'd be lost!)

I’ve been asked to share our April meals. As I said here, one of the ways we save money is by meal planning monthly. This helps me have a running grocery list so I can buy things on sale and to stock up on high ticket items when they go on sale, like meat! We are gone for a week in April, so I only needed 19 meals (we have leftovers two/three times a week- another money saver!)

Hamburgers, homemade sweet potato fries and baked beans
Grilled chicken and Vera Bradley summertime pasta salad (l/o)
Parmesan crusted tilapia, lemon basil orzo and roasted vegetable (broccoli, squash or asparagus)
Spaghetti and roasted vegetable (l/o)
BBQ chicken sandwiches with baked potatoes (l/o)
Chicken tacos, southwestern salad with homemade cilantro lime vinegarette (l/o)
MYO (make you own) pizza
Chipotle chicken bowls- salsa chicken, rice, beans, cheese, salsa, avocado (l/o)
MYO Quesadillas with southwestern salad
Stuffed shells with roasted vegetables (l/o)
Chicken sausage, rice and black beans
Crockpot chicken alfredo (l/o)


Homemade sweet potato fries
1large sweet potato (enough to feed two hungry adults!)
A splash of olive oil
salt, pepper

-cut the sweet potatoes into fries- this is the hardest part. You’re gonna want to make them thin and all uniform in size so they cook evenly.
-put the potatoes, oil and seasonings into a gallon size ziplock bag and shake, shake shake!
-spread them out on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes in a 400 degree oven.
-we enjoy them with Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce- except that I just looked at the ingredient list (I’ve been scared to up until recently bc we LOVE SBR’s) and it’s got high fructose corn syrup in it.. .no surprise, but we’ll be looking for a new BBQ sauce. Any suggestions?


Vera Bradley Summertime Pasta Salad (based on the recipe Vera Bradley cookbook with a few of my own modifications)
1 box of penne pasta cooked al dente and drained
½ bag of baby spinach
1 large red onion, diced
2 large tomatoes, diced
1 large cucumber, peeled and diced
¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese (could also use feta)
-combine all of these in a large bowl and top with dressing! This is best made a couple hours ahead of time to let the flavors combine. Store in the fridge! We serve it topped with grilled chicken.

3/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 TBS Dijon mustard
1 TBS Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
-whisk these together and enjoy!

BBQ chicken sandwiches
Shredded chicken topped with BBQ sauce on whole wheat buns- SUPER easy to do!
-I make shredded chicken one of two ways- when I make my own chicken broth from a whole chicken, or in the crockpot - put BSCB in the crockpot with the liquid of your choice (salsa for chipotle chicken, bbq sauce for bbq chicken, chicken stock for plain chicken) and cook for 6-8 hours on low or 4 hours on high and shred!

Southwestern Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
Combine anything you would want in a southwestern salad- I use Bibb lettuce, corn, black beans, tomato, cilantro, crushed up tortilla chips and cheese.

Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette-
lime juice from 3 limes
¼ cup white wine vinegar
2tsp honey
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup olive oil
½ cup chopped cilantro
-This is a make and test dressing recipe- make a batch and taste and add what you need more of. If you like a sweeter dressing, add honey. Need a little more kick? Add more lime!

Crock pot Chicken Alfredo
1 package boneless skinless chicken breasts (I usually use two)
1 package Italian dressing seasoning
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 TBS butter
8oz container of chive and onion cream cheese (I use low fat)
½ cup white wine (plus a glass for yourself while you’re cooking!)
-put everything but the cream cheese into the crockpot in the morning and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 4
-when chicken is cooked, shred and return to the crockpot along with the cream cheese and cook on low for 30 minutes.
-serve with angel hair pasta
*This freezes very well!


You still have 5 days before April- it’s not too late to get started on your monthly meal plan!

What’s for dinner this week in your house?

Love,
Chef K Vog.

Maddie goes to the Dallas World Aquarium Zoo!

When my parents came in to visit us last week we took MK to the Dallas World Aquarium Zoo. It was a rainy day and we wanted to do something in Dallas that would be fun for MK and also for us adults, so off to the aquarium we went.

I have always been very skeptical of the aquarium because of how expensive it is ($20 for an adult, but MK was free!). After visiting however, I would totally go back! It was well worth the $20! The DWA is way more than just an aquarium, it is like a Disney World attraction.

There is a 3 story jungle with monkey, exotic birds, mammals, fish, alligators and other reptiles. The flora and fauna is amazing. 

I love these little orange monkeys! 

There is also the typical aquarium finds: A shark tank over your head and tanks with fish from around the globe. I was shocked to see a manatee swimming around with giant turtles! It was like being in the Indian River in Fl where my parents live! Mike especially loved the penguins- his favorite animal! MK was overwhelmed and mesmerized. She made fish faces at all the fish and was afraid of the sharks swimming overhead in the shark tank (she gets that from her mama!).

Taking it all in! 

The manatee! 

Trying to pet the fish. 

 If you find yourself in Dallas with nothing to do and $20 to spend- take a trip to the Dallas World Aquarium Zoo!

Love,
The Vogs

a BIG girl bed!

That’s right, MK has a big girl bed in her room! My vision from long long long ago has finally happened! Here are some pictures. I did a tutorial about how I recovered her headboard back in December. A bed skirt tutorial will be coming soon!

MK's big girl bed! If you look closely, you'll see Elmo and Cookie monster have already made themselves comfortable! 

Her crib is still in the room, we're just letting her get used to the bed and will switch her over when she's ready.  I'm working on redoing a large wooden dressed I found at a garage sale to put in her room. I'm painting it white and putting some cute knobs on it to match her bed. I'm also on the look out for a new rug- I think i'll move this one into her bathroom! 

Going "nigh nigh" in the bed. 

She loves going under the covers.

Sheet I found at Pottery Barn Kids Outlet near San Antonio for $15 and the fabric I used to make her bed skirt (I am in LOVE with this fabric!)

Working away last night on the sewing machine to have her bed skirt done today. 

My favorite part of the big girl bed- reading stories before bedtime! She's pointing to the bear in this book... Sic 'em! 

 It was kind of sad shopping for a mattress today and putting her big bed together... she's growing up! 

I hope you love your new bed Maddie girl! 

Love, 

MK Vog and her new bed! : ) 

MWW- Dressing baby for less!

If you’ve been tracking with me for a while, you know I love a good deal! So, one more time I’m going to devote a blog post to shopping those deals. Anyone with kids knows that the three top expenses in the first two years of a baby’s life are diapers (see previous cloth diaper posts for more info on how to save), formula/food (we were lucky to be able to breastfeed exclusively for 7 months until my boobs suddenly dried up, but I was SHOCKED at how much formula is!) and clothing.

Girls are so much fun to dress, but because of that they can also be expensive to clothe. Here are my tips to dressing your precious girls for less. I am sure the same principles could be applied to boys too, but I don't have any experience with that.

1. Shop off season. This is only something you can do when you get a hang of how fast your baby is going to grow. MK wore newborn clothes for about a couple weeks and quickly grew into 3 month clothes by one month. She continued to be 3 months bigger in clothes until just about a year when she slowed down. She’s stayed at 18-24 months since last August and will certainly be in 2T by her birthday in August. So, because I have a pretty good idea how big she will be, I buy her clothes off season. At the end of summer/fall I bought a ton of size 2T summer clothes on the 75% off clearance rack at Target and Gymboree. I’ll do the same in a couple of weeks for winter.

2. Realize that you are buying for a messy, growing toddler who doesn’t care what she wears. Even if we could afford it, I still don’t think I would buy MK’s clothes anywhere other than Target, Old Navy and the Gymboree and Carters outlet. Why would I spend $20 on an outfit that’s just going to get stained and she is not going to be able to wear next year?

3. Consign, Consign, Consign! It’s no secret that I LOVE consignment sales. There are two big ones here that happen a couple times a year- Just Between Friends and Divine Consign. I shop at their 75% off sales and get amazing deals on very gently used brand name clothes.

4. We have been so blessed by the generosity of several close friends who have let us borrow clothes for MK. If you have older kids and know mama’s with younger ones, let them borrow your stuff! I sorted MK’s clothes into two piles- ones that I didn’t care if they got ruined and ones that were sentimental and I wanted to pass down to my sisters when they have babies. I’ve been letting my girl mama friends borrow MK’s old clothes and I am so glad I am able to bless those mamas with free clothes for a season. Put your name on the label with a thin tipped sharpie and start blessing!

I hope these tips will help you in your journey to clothing your babes for less. Maybe you can spend the extra money on you for a change! Go get a new dress, a pedicure or let dad watch baby and treat yourself to an afternoon at Starbucks with a good book (doesn’t that sound like heaven!). 

A polo dress for $5, a Baby Gap tunic for $2.50 and a Baby Gap play outfit for $2.50... I heart consignment sales! 

This precious ruffled romper was $5 at Diving consign, it also came with a hat that matches for the summer! 

How do you save money on your little one's wardrobe?

Love,
K Vog

Confessions of a Wanna Be Preggo!

Since I’ve already let y'all into this very personal aspect of my life, I’ve decided to keep you in the loop. Here are some confessions I have to make:

~Every time I go to Target, I ALWAYS check out two places: The clearance maternity rack and the clearance baby gear section. When I am in there hunting for deals, I think two things: “Will I get to use/wear this?” & “I should have worn something more flattering on the belly, people are gonna think I’m preggo!” This is my strange way of giving myself hope, like if I buy that maternity shirt for $2 or Dr. Browns bottle for $4, maybe it will happen… I said it was strange, don’t judge!

Instragram of my Target find the other day! 

~I have read this book and this book and checked out this website at least once a month for the past 8 months… that’s a lot of reading! I learn something new every time.

~I pee on a stick 2 times a day for 10 days… and it’s not a pregnancy test! OPKs were annoying at first. I didn’t realize that a faint line wasn’t positive like a pregnancy test, so I thought I was ovulating all the time! I honestly love peeing on something that turns positive at least once a month… again, like the maternity clothes- it gives me hope!

Test line DARKER than the control= Positive! :) 

~I have memorized James 1:2-4, 1 John 5:15, Jeremiah 29:11, and Proverbs 3:5-6… and I need them every moment I am awake to keep me focused on Him and His promises…. Maybe I should be reciting those when I’m shopping at Target?!?.... nah!

~I HATE pills (Mike has to force me to take Tylenol when I’ve got a bad headache), but I’m taking at least two every morning. Prenatal for the folic acid, B6 & Prometrium for a suspected luteal phase defect (short time between ovulation and menstruation). This is my first cycle taking the Prometrium, so we’ll see if it helps!

My drugs of choice 

~I’ve become really good at saying “I’m so happy for you, but I’m just really sad for me.” It’s the age I am, but a ton of my dear friends are pregnant. And as happy as I am for them, and I am sooooo happy, it still stings a little with every Facebook announcement. I’ve learned a whole lot about sensitivity through this process, how to do it well and how to do it differently. I’ve got some wonderful friends who let me be honest about my struggles with jealousy and bitterness; they love me well through it and call me out on it… SO thankful for them! If you don't have friends like that in our life- find some, they are invaluable.

So now you know all of my silly TTC (trying to conceive) quirks. TTC is a game of elated hope and severe disappointment and every emotion in between. I think I’m getting a better handle on it every month… with credit only going to Him. He and I have become tight through this… I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Remember that the struggles in this life are an opportunity for GREAT JOY (dropping some James 1:2 on ya)… my joy hasn’t come from a positive pregnancy test, but I have experienced great joy. Joy from seeing how the Lord is using me to touch the lives and hearts of some of the girls in my life (many whom are not even TTC but experiencing another time of waiting). Joy from gaining a new appreciation for my precious baby girl MK. Joy in allowing the Lord to humble me and battle my selfishness by blessing my preggo friends with my summer maternity wardrobe (another confession, the Lord really did a work on my heart to give those up, but I still bawled like a baby when I gave them away). Joy in realizing my icky jealous heart and surrendering it daily to the Lord and being thankful that I am as white as snow in His eyes. Joy in growing closer to my husband through this journey.

I pray desperately that you can find JOY in your struggles in this season of your life dear friends. It’s way harder than it looks, but I promise it’s possible.

Love,
K Vog

Green thumbs, good deals, and lots of my favorite blue-eyed toddler.

Besides from our crazy adventure to San Angelo last week, I've done a terrible job updating y'all on what we've been up to lately... tonight, that changes!

Baby Gap out fits, Carters rompers, PJ's, a pair of nearly new stride rite sandals and MUCH more for $20... I heart Divine Consign 75%off sale. The Plano sale starts tomorrow! EK! 

Love these blue eyes. 

Feeling confident about my green thumb after my orchid's bloomed... we'll see if I can keep these  alive. 

Happiness is an organized craft/sewing closet. I've got a big sewing project coming up- a custom baby boy crib set and re-covering a glider for a sweet friend. I needed this to be organized before I could tackle that! 

Using a"Melmo" book as a pillow. 

My favorite mommy rejuvenating time is in front of my Singer with the Matt Wertz Pandora station blaring on my iPhone.

The final product! Happy birthday Randi... you deserve something cuddly.

Braving the mall with TWO babies in my double stroller... I ADORE this stroller, I'll do a review post on it soon. 

Cuddling is my favorite. 

She has my heart! 

My joy bug... she's a fan of spaghetti and her Elmo bib. Mom is especially a fan of the new bibs that seem to be doing the trick at keeping the food stains at bay.

Love,

M, K and MK Vog