I Got It From My Momma!!

So yesterday, I spent pretty much all day standing in our kitchen prepping meals for the up coming week.
 All the recipes I followed are from the Good Cheap Eats book.

I'm making 5 meals this coming week and they are ready to be cooked. I didn't cook anything before hand, except for the chicken for the chicken black bean and rice soup. I boiled the chicken legs in water with garlic, carrots, celery, and half an onion so that I got some chicken stock for the week as well. It turned out very well.

Three Jars of Chicken stock for soup and making rice this week.

I also got out the bread machine and made some amish white bread. It turned out so fluffy and good. I had some toast this morning and the slice of bread was a tad bit too big for the toaster. That's good bread right there.

As for the other meals, I made my own "Rice a Roni" jars, (one cup of rice with all the seasonings I need for the meal).
And also made my own "Shake-n-Bake" for tonight's dinner.

 I've got vegetables cut and ready to go, and everything measured out.
 I feel very accomplished. And also, I have missed doing stuff like this. I used to when I lived at home and was first married. But after a few years, and after having to work three jobs at a time, I've just fallen out of routine and just forgotten how much fun I had doing prep work and making sure that the pantry is full of ready to go meals and what not's.

Chopped and measured out, ready to be cooked.

The Green Beans already have olive oil and seasoning on them, ready to be roasted in the oven!

Beef, Chicken, and more vegetables in the freezer. 

 
Not pictured is my sourdough starter! I'm very excited about this, I love sourdough bread and rolls. I'm a bit nervous at how it will turn out, but the recipe and instructions seem simple enough.
 You can get all the recipes I am using from the Good Cheap Eats book, and also the blog .

My momma got me this book for Christmas, and I've been using it everyday sense then.

 Happy Sunday.

~*Arielle*Caitlynn*~

Living...

 As 2017 draws to a close, Everyone is setting their "New Years Resolutions".

-Go to the guy-Be healthy in some new fad-ish way-Find inner peace-Forgive and Forget-

Blah-Blah-Blah...

It's all excuses, all fake. I'm sorry, but, NO ONE Keeps Their Resolutions. I never did. I never will.

But, I'll tell you what I will do...

 I'm going to keep being myself!

I'm going to take care of myself-Love myself-Accept myself-I'm going to TRY!

 Try to be more positive-try to be more accepting-try to be more forgiving-try to me more-ME!

 This is a resolution that everyone and their mothers should set. But let's not call it a resolution, let's call it... LIVING.

 Because that's what it is! That's what we all should be doing-Living.

 ~Don't be so busy trying to make a living that you forget to LIVE~

So, 2018, Let's all just get along and live our lives.

The Holiday Season.

 For Thanksgiving, Josh and I went to North Carolina to visit his dad and step mom. It was a long drive, but I'm happy we went. It seemed that Josh needed to reconnect with his dad once we got there, and I loved seeing the mountains.
 We only spent two days there, but we had fun. (And I got three bottles of wine out of the trip as well)

We also had a Friends-Giving before we left. That was alot of fun.

We just recently had an early Christmas gift exchange as well. Josh's mom, sister, my friend Miranda her husband Jason and son Marshel and our roommate Benny were there. We had dinner and opened gifts. Shared alot of laughs and stories.

 All in All, this has been a very good holiday season so far.

Many Blessings,
 Arielle Caitlynn

Wanderlust

When I was little, I never thought much of the ocean.
It was big, dark, wet, scary, filled with strange creatures. The things my nightmares were made of. I am afraid of water, well, water I cannot see in. Dark, cold water. If I can't see the bottom, I wont go in.
 Well, when I went to California back in 2012, I was excited to see someplace new. Though we didn't do much other than sleep, eat and lay on the beach, it was still an adventure for me. But the ocean... Oh That Ocean.
 I couldn't see the end of it, and it was so dark, I was frightened, yet, mesmerized. Here I was, Just a dot, seeing for the first time how big this world was. I was awestruck. I teared up, I looked to the heavens and said, this is bigger than how much you love me?! This, as far as the East is from the West? From one horizon to the other. I was just, awestruck.
 After we returned back to our daily lives, I was hooked. I always thought of the ocean, of the waves. The sound of the water rushing over the shore, the gulls crying in the air. The warmth of the sun reflecting off the white sand. Children giggling in the foam and seaweed. I longed to go back.
 It wouldn't be until 3 years later that I would go back. Not to the same beach or part of the ocean. But back to a beach and see the ocean from a different point of view.
 In May 2015, I went to Florida with my dad, little sister and her best friend. We went to swim with the manatees in Crystal River, then made our way from north to south then back up, all along the coast. The waters in Florida were clear, and a beautiful teal color that I cannot unsee. The sand was softer, The sun was warmer. My heart was better. This was a vacation I needed after my divorce. I was so unsettled, and my soul was restless. That was when I found out for the first time what Wanderlust felt like.
 I was being drawn to go somewhere I have never been, nor ever thought of going. To be someplace new, meet new people, to just be new again. And I am better for it.

Never in a million years would I have ever thought I would put on a wet suit, go out on a boat at 6 o'clock in the morning, plunge into a cold fresh water river, and put my face under water and come face to face with the most adorable creature I've yet to meet, and touch it and almost ride on it as it swam underneath me and rose to the surface. I was terrified. My heart rate went sky high, my breathing was irregular, and I had the biggest smile on my face when my sister pulled my hand over to squishy, hairy boulder just inches in front of her. I reached for Lydias hand and did the same, when we all looked up at eachother, I couldn't tell if it was just water, or tears of joy, but the smiles we shared, and I was so thankful for my daddy. He paid for all of this, drove all night, woke us up, and was just as happy as we were. Just remembering all of this has me worked up.
 And I'm Longing To Go Back.

Growing up, I always thought I was named after The Little Mermaid. We looked alike. Skinny, long red hair, could sing pretty well. But I couldn't swim to save my life. But I do like some water. Pools, baths, hottubs, streams. If I could see and touch the bottom, I was fine. The sound of running water soothes me. Feeling it wash over my skin, like it's washing all the bad in the world away is the best feeling in the world to me. But the Ocean. Those waves, will kill me. I got washed away in a wave in California. Was rolled and flipped, I didn't know which way was up or down. I panicked. I cried, I prayed. I even sent an I Love You to my family in my mind, thinking I wasn't going to make it back to the beach. But luckily, I floated, and made my way back. That was the first and last time I ever went into the water.

 But, In Florida. Allison and I went out so far, the people on the beach looked like dots. We didn't realize this. We just kept walking and talking and watching our feet and looking for seastars and fish.
 When we looked up, the water was up to our chins and only one thought came to mind for me, SHARKS! Time to go back, and quickly, I said to her and we swam, and laughed, and rode waves like we were mermaids. Smiles on our faces. Lydia thought we were crazy and dad did his, I should be upset with you but I just can't be cause look how happy you are, laugh. And we all sat together and watched the sunset over the water.

This winter I have wanderlust so bad, I can't sit still. I keep looking at all my pictures of my adventures from summer, and I am just beside myself I didn't do more. I didn't travel further. That I am living in an apartment instead of a pull around camper and seeing the world.
 I do like my apartment and warm soft bed. I love being with Josh, and my job. But OH THE WANDERLUST!!

The Warm Sun...

 The Colors...

I have made a promise to myself, that this summer, I would go somewhere new.
 A Dessert, A Snow Capped Mountain, A Muggy Rainforest.
              ANYWHERE!
As long as it was new, I was going to go.
 But for now, I have the memories, and those will do.

 
Many Warm Blessings To You.
 ~*Arielle*Caitlynn*~

Feeling... Not Good Enough.

Ever have those days where you just don't feel like you're good enough?
I have. A lot. Pretty much every day of my life.
Yeah, I can cook, yes I can take care of a small child or a 600 pound horse. But, I didn't learn that in a class room.
I was pulled from the public school system before I started fourth grade. My mom and I fought tooth and nail over school work. Both of us in tears by the end of the day and not one step closer to me knowing how to simplify fractions.
Instead we went to the unschool approach. Not a bad choice, but maybe not the best in the long run. I barely made it through high school with all my sanity and some basic form of knowledge. But I wasn't ready for college. I never took the GED or SAT or ACT. I always looked at colleges, almost had myself enrolled once, I was going to surprise everyone, then, I just didn't. I didn't feel smart enough.
"maybe I just like the IDEA of college."
Well I do. But what the heck would I do? As I'm sure you can tell by reading this, my grammer, spelling, and pretty much English skills are lacking. I can't do quick math in my head with out having a panic attack. And science.... Let's just say, No.
So what is there? Art, you need to take art history. Ok, oh and calculus, bio chemistry, know how to take apart a small twin engine plane, and Latin.
How about, Early Childhood Education! You need to be certified in C.P.R., know how to fly a jet, solve Einstein's Theory of Relativity, and how to deal with parents who don't know a darn thing about being a parent but somehow are so much better than any one else when it comes to kids.
So, I'm just not cut out for this.
I don't want to work in a corporate office, or be a medical surgeon.
I just want, to feel like, I'm enough.
I'm not into politics much. I don't even know where to begin to understand the presidential election. I'm not too big on talking religion with someone who is so closed minded that I just get pissed and want to cram the bible in their ear and hope the message sticks.
I know nothing about technology. So don't even try.
I see this video of this little three year old who memorized the periodic table of elements and here I am, struggling to fill out my resume to find a second job.
I'm just not good enough.
Anything I can do, won't pay my bills.
I've tried to start my own business. But while I'm waithing for that to take off, I have to work three jobs to pay rent.
All I've ever wanted to do with my life, was have a small homestead. Just an acre or two. Just big enough for a garden, some small farm animals, and my children. And be a good mother.
But, here I am. 25 divorced, and having to barrow money from my boyfriend to pay my rent and other bills.
Yeah, maybe I should have gone home after my divorce, lived with my dad and sister. But, I had to prove to myself I could do this on my own. And just when I thought I was making it, was coming out on top, BAM!, life just sucker punched me so hard, then took all my lunch money.
Story of my life right there.
I couldn't even celebrate my birthday with out worrying how I was going to pay the bills.
As always, it's winter, and I've got the blues.
The subject of me maybe going to school came up at my birthday dinner and it's been weighing on me ever sense.
I just honestly don't know what to do. Maybe go get my gen-eds out of the way, but then what? There are job opportunities after that. I've seen all my friends go to college and not get a job in the degree they have. My Ex for one example. It only took him three years to get degree in business, then one year to get a master's in business management. But, he is no where near where he wants to be. He found himself stuck, and just decided oh well.
I don't want to end up like that. If I go to college and graduate, I want to be able to transition into a job that I studied for. I would hate to be the alternative and have wasted all that time and money to just be stuck.
But, I guess these are just reasons. Me trying to talk myself out of the idea. Or so I've been told.
I'm smart. Just not college smart. So far I've been ok with that, but it seems more and more you have to have a college degree to even make friends.
I just don't know what to do or where to start.
I do need help and guidance. But I also feel pushed and forced into this.
I'm just not feeling good enough.

Good Morning

Well good morning my fellow rays of sunshine. How are you?
I'm doing well today. I was up at 7:45am, dressed and ready for the day by 8:45am. Mostly because I had to take my handsome Josh a different shirt to wear at work because the one he had on was too small. I guess it's about time to go through the closet and drawers to weed through the outdated, too small clothes and make a list of what needs to be replaced.
I plan on taking all the unwanted, decent clothes to the homeless shelter, as well as some hats, gloves, and scarves.
I'm also wanting to take some cat, and dog treats/food to the animal shelter. I've been to the local animal shelter a few times now and those loving pets need homes so badly, I cry every time I remind myself we can't take them. Though I really wish I could.
But , aside from being in a giving mood. I'm doing well in my new life. I'm still dating Josh, and we are very happy, going on 10 months on the 14th. I'm working hard at the bakery, and learning new things. I've been cooking, crafting, and painting. 
So , yeah. I'm pretty happy. Trying to keep busy and keep myself from getting the winter blues and cabin fever. It has not snowed yet here in North Eastern Arkansas. But, it is cold. So cold that my car door lock was frozen. I was almost late to work because of that.

Other than all that was said, I'm not up to very much. My birthday is coming up soon. I'm planning a surprise party for Josh for his birthday. And that's about it.

Oh! I did have a wonderful Thanksgiving and Christmas. And new years was a blast as well.

Well that's about it for today.

  Many Blessings to you and stay warm.
*Arielle Caitlynn*

To Do List:

1. Start Laundry
2. Finish Two Rows (crochet) Of Josh's Hat
3. Finish Scarf
4. Get Dressed for the Day
5. Eat Lunch
6. Turn Over Laundry
7. Clean Apartment
8. Put Laundry Away
9. Finish Book
10. Dinner (leftovers or hobo dinner?)
11. Shower
12. Two episodes of S.H.I.E.L.D.
13. Bed.

All this needs to be done by 8:30 p.m. Wish me luck.

*Arielle

Happy New Years Eve!

 Again, It's been a while.
I've been, as usual, busy. I got a new job at Cupcake shop. GiGi's Cupcakes. You know you've heard of it, www.gigiscupcakesusa.com .
 Anyways.
I quit Olive Garden. Too much stress for no pay. Now I'm working up to 8 hours at GiGi's. Up at 4-5am, home by 12-1ish pm.
 It's got me busy. But I'm learning to manage my time there and at home.
I'm starting to do some meal plans for the weeks/month to help with shopping and eating better for the new year. Josh and I have made a deal to start eating better and work out.
 I'm excited to see what this new year has to bring. I've been doing ok so far. Making enough money to pay bills and still have some money left over to either put towards the next month (which is what I usually do) or spend (which is what I want to do).
 Well that's about it for now.
Blessings.

Meal Plan

 

Merry Christmas, so far.......

 WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS,

WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS,

WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS,

AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!





 Well, Christmas is almost here. I'm very happy. I love Christmas time because my family comes together under one roof and shares laughs, and love. I hope your Christmas Season is going well. With Love and Warm Prayers,

 Arielle Caitlynn.

Another Year Gone and Past.

 Yes that's right. I am now a whole year older. I am now 22.
I have been blessed with 22 years of breath, life, blood, family and friends.
 Happy Birthday To Me! :)

It continues to snow here. My momma and little sister just dropped me off after a weekend at home. I stayed Saturday and Saturday night with Momma, daddy and my sister. I ate alot of snickerdoodle cake, and stayed up too late. Sunday my older sister had a get together at her house for the superbowl. My niece made me a cake, and sang Happy Birthday to me. And I got to play and romp with my 9 month old nephew. It was a wonderful weekend. Just what I needed. My darling husband had to work this weekend so he took me out for a nice dinner on Friday night. We went to Red Lobster! One of my favorites. I got treated to a Chocolate Martini and crab legs.
 But now it's Monday and it's back to work. Like the weekend never happened. Oh well. I'll always have the memories of family and friends.

 Many Blessings,
~*Caitlynn

Well Hello There!!!!!

Hi There! Bet you thought I had left for good huh?!? Well I didn't.
 I had messed up the layout and format of my blog and got all in a tizzy and refused to try to fix it til I could think about my blog with out feeling like a worthless piece poo! (Then this morning I thought to myself that poo is not exactly worthless, you can compost with it and with that compost you can grow seeds, and those seed might be food seeds that can feed a third world village and then a child from that third world village could eat and grow strong and smart and then go on to go to a wonderful college and then become a great scientist who comes up with the cure for cancer then their story will be all over the news and history books and that will start off with, Once upon a time, someone sent some compost made from what someone thought was a worthless piece of poo, and some seeds to a third world village!...)
 So I got back on my blog and LOW AND BEHOLD! I fixed the darn problem.... I just had to reset everything and start from scratch!!! UGH!

 Well now that you have seen the wedding blog I thought I would come back (seeing as though my HUSBAND! is working on his computer in the bedroom with the lights on and I can't sleep...) and tell you how we are doing!

 How we are doing so far in our 61/2 months of Marriage,
Things are going ok so far. We have our ups and downs. More downs than ups but that's ok. Every couple I talk to who has been married more than 2 years tells me that the first few months to the first year will always be hard. You are still getting used to eachother being around and money will be tight. It's a given thing. But we are holding on. Money is VERY tight right now, so my Darling is looking looking for a better job than the one at the college kitchen. Right now he is working full time for a whopping $9.00 an hour. I'm working part time (5 nights a week 31/2 hours a night) for just a dollar less than that. Not much at all. And to top it all off we were off from work for three weeks for Christmas break. We could have drawn unemployment for those three weeks (some of the people we work with do) and would have broke even instead of almost evenly broke! Christmas was small but it was nice. I didn't really want anything for Christmas, just to be with my family and my Husband! And that's what I got. We went to my older sisters for Christmas Eve and watched movies and watched the kids open their gifts which they LOVED! And us three girls surprised our parents with some nice pictures of their Grown girls and Grandchildren.

Then Christmas morning we opened presents with my parents and younger sister. It was small, but wonderful. We got lots of nice things, things we can use alot. Then we had a nice lunch/dinner with my moms parents that my darling made, then we went to his families house. That was a short, sweet trip as everyone was on their way to visit his step dads niece (our good friend) at the hospital, she just had her little girl. So we had a late dinner opened our gifts and everyone went their way. We went home to our apartment to sleep and then put every thing we got away.

 Before Christmas we got our FIRST CHRISTMAS TREE! It turned out so nice!

Most of the decorations are his, his grandparents give him a new ornament every Christmas so there are 23 (give or take) of his and only 10 (give or take) of mine. But it's still a nice tree. The angle at the top is an ornament that my darling gave me for our first Christmas as boyfriend and girlfriend! She looked quite lovely way up there!!

 As we got the tree looking nice, we kind of goofed off and took a nice picture to remember our first picture...

Yeah, it was my idea! I got it from Pinterest. ^_^

 Well, we also got a few really cute pictures for our First Christmas Christmas cards too...

I played around with them on my Picasa photo editor. I feel like I look a bit chubby in them but that sweater is kind of big on me. :)

Well now that Christmas is over and we are back to work, things are still going ok. It's a new year and we are still together. Our love is growing stronger every day as we are still learning about and from each other. You would think that after dating for three years and living with each other for two months you would know a person pretty well..... Ummmm..... NO! There are still things I don't know about my darling and there are still things he needs to know about me... Like how I am a hopeless romantic who still sleeps with a stuffed toy! And that I take everything to heart and my emotions are very touchy! But all in good time will we ever know each other completely.

 God is still our center, Family is still our support structure, Friends are still our confidants.
We may fight, and argue and yes sometimes yell. But really at the end of the day, I could never think of going to bed with out him by my side. (Except that one time when I was happy he fell asleep on the couch, but that was really because I needed to stretch out and get a good nights sleep ^_^ ) If I stay at my parents for just one night, or at a friends, I miss him. I like it when I wake up cold and can snuggle up next to him to stay warm, or that I can kiss him and tell him good night. I also miss the way he says he loves me in his sleepy voice that tells me that is just about to go into a very deep sleep.
 I also like it when he holds me after I wake myself up from a nightmare and tells me that it's ok, that he is there!!

 I just love him so much, even when we are fighting, I always seem to think back on all the wonderful, cute things he has done for me, and I just can't be mad.


 He is My Beloved and My Beloved is Mine... S.O.S 6:3

~*Warm Thoughts~Happy Prayers~Many Blessings~*

 ~*Caitlynn*~

Baking.....

 Yesterday I made some Muffins.
I used the recipe my Momma printed up for me for my hope chest. I have it taped to my kitchen cabinet so I can use it over and over again with out having to flip through so many pages of my cook book.
 The recipe called for 1/4 C. Oil, but I had heard that you can substitute apple sauce for oil. So I gave it a try....

I used a can of Home Made Apple Sauce that I got from Momma's kitchen.....

Put it in a measuring cup and gave it a little mush and plopped it in the batter.... Mixed it all up and put about a Table Spoon of batter in to each Mini Pan Cup......  

They Baked so nice!! Only 10 minutes and they were done to perfection. 

I loved how they rose out of the cups. So neat...

The batter made about 42 Muffins... (the ones with the brown spots...That's cinnamon!!)

I like making mini muffins because they are just the right size for snacking,

And they are soooooo Yummy!!!!

Well that was my baking adventure for the day. I'll be taking the muffins to work with me to snack on and maybe have a few for breakfast with my coffee.

 Many Warm Thoughts and Blessings.

~*Caitlynn