i love valentine’s day.
i love the flowers & the mushy cards. i get all weepy over the jewelry commercials & i eat my weight in chocolate.
there. i said it.
so naturally, all of my people get valentine’s day gifts, including some of my best gal pals & my nephew.
today, in the spirit of giving & love, i thought i’d share some fun & inexpensive ideas for loving on your people during valentine’s day!
i picked up these cards from my girl katy of katygirl designs. the buffalo check & witty sayings inspired me to make some cuteness for my girlfriends & the special littles in my life!
i paired katy’s “you’re just my type” card with journals from katie daisy that i picked up at target. i added a pen from the dollar bin at target, some sparkly heart stickers & one of my happy flags! i simply tied up the goodies with fabric ribbon & now i have two bundles ready for gifting! yay!
here’s the breakdown in cost:
card: $2.50
notebook: about $3 each (similar design)
pen: 50 cents each
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total cost: $6 per gift
confession: i’ve never watched star wars…
but! my husband is a star wars addict (i’m not sure why he married me). his parents even named him after luke skywalker, people. so although i haven’t joined the star wars cool club, i do appreciate the star wars references.
i found the “yoda only one for me” card from katy’s shop & paired it with the star wars light saber m&m candy dispenser from hobby lobby. i made a little “may the force be with you!” tag & tied it with fabric ribbon!
kiddo approved, y’all! yay!
here’s the breakdown in cost:
card: $2.50
star wars light saber candy dispenser (including 40% off hobby lobby coupon): $3
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total cost: $5.50
& if you’re in need of a gift idea for your main squeeze, above is a fun gift idea i made for my hubby a couple of years ago for just $1. here’s the link! enjoy!
what are some fun valentine’s day gifts you plan to make this year? please share!
love,
natalie
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.
now that i’ve gotten all jesus on ya, i wan’t to share some big news – our little church is moving to a new home!
you & i both know that church isn’t a building; it’s the people.
it’s the people that sit down with you, love you through your ugliest, encourage & stretch you.
these are the very people who have become our friends, our mentors, our family & our tribe. i get all weepy just thinking about the mad love i have for this crazy bunch!
these are the people i share coffee & cinnamon rolls with every thursday morning.
these are the people who let us steal their amazing kiddos for cheesy fries & christmas lights!
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.
can you help make this happen? can you help us grow?
can you chip in $5, $10 or $15 to help us cover labor, supplies & equipment for our new gathering space?
thank you so much, dear friends! every dollar really does add up!
& just a heads up – 15% of my shop proceeds in february will go to our church fundraiser. mark your calendars for february 19th when my shop will reopen with some cute goods just in time for spring!
love,
natalie
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