hello, friends! grab a cup of coffee & sit down with me for a bit. i want to chat with you about something that is dear to my heart & part of my life that sometimes goes unshared.

i first want to begin by sharing my intentional choice to rarely speak openly about my faith & personal beliefs. i do this not because it isn’t a huge part of my life, but because i firmly believe this is an inclusive space where we can all learn & grow from one another.

often times i feel like we get so caught up in the details of other’s personal beliefs that we unintentionally build walls to separate us from the “other.” friends, i want to break down those walls! let’s use this space to encourage one another along our own unique journeys & live out the truth that ultimately, love wins.

these are the people who lay down their to do lists & stop everything that they’re doing to help me with my little business when i am a helpless puddle of stress. 

& although church isn’t a building, a building is where these people whom i dearly love gather. 

almost two years ago, we lost our church building & we’ve been adamantly searching for another meeting space since. after a long & extensive search for a new place to meet, we finally found a new church home! and on easter sunday, we’re going to celebrate by having our first worship gathering in our new space!

simply put, we’re no mega church & there’s a lot of work to be done.

with a shoe string budget, we need to literally raise the roof. we also hope to install a small kitchen & we must tear down walls to make the space more functional. we will also create an inspiring space for our littles to gather & our plan is to decorate with secondhand finds to make the space a little more inviting.

friends, we need to raise $20,000 in the next two months.

i am in the trenches of my second round of whole30, y’all. 

what i lack in success, i make up for in laziness. i wrote the lazy gal’s guide to whole30. 

today i am sharing my favorite go-to whole 30 lunch, inspired by my sweet mama who makes the best chicken salad on the block. this recipe is the absolute easiest & perfect for when the hangry hits you. also, it’s delicious & affordable!

whole 30 compliant chicken salad recipe

serves 2 

ingredients:

– one small can of chicken (organic is ideal)

– 1/2 small apple, diced

– 10 or so grapes, halved

– 1/4 cup diced kosher dill pickles

– mustard to taste

– salt & pepper to taste

directions: 

add chicken, apple, grapes & pickles to a large bowl. squirt a generous amount of mustard & mix until well combined. add salt & pepper to taste. serve in a bowl & enjoy as a quick lunch!

optional: you could also add diced boiled egg for extra protein & red onion for a pop of flavor.

i’d love to read your ideas for a quick whole30 lunch! please share!

love,

natalie

this weekend i hosted a little baby shower with a group of my dearest friends to celebrate our newest mama gal pal, daila, & her sweet lucy grace! 

little lucy grace surprised us all by coming a month earlier than her due date! that sweet pea was happily in attendance to her own shower & we were all absolutely giddy about it.

we passed around the little peanut while sharing birthing stories, mothering tips & all of that other good parenting stuff that i gratefully file away in my parenting toolbox. 

thank you to the amazing ladies who baked & cooked up the yummy treats for the shower! (i will happily decorate, but i refuse to cook for parties & showers… i’m not the chef in our tribe!)

i do love a good excuse to buy sweet treats such as sprinkled doughnut holes & pretty mints! i just threw them in glass jars & added a white tag. 

those adorable gold forks & gold straw flags are from hobby lobby! i love their paper & party goods section. the tablecloths were thrifted… the white tassel tablecloth made my heart stop when i saw it. 

now c’mon, someone else have a baby so we can hang, cuddle newborns & eat sweets again! xo.

love,

natalie