Fridays + Donuts

Since I've sat down to write this, I've seriously been up and down the stairs eleven times. And yes, I counted. Reese is having some sort of nap regression with me staying home; some say she's super excited about being with Mommy more, I think she just hates me. This last time I went up, it's because I heard a super loud THUD; don't worry, it wasn't her falling from the bed, it was her putting her new Bitty Baby cradle IN to her bed, so that it can take up half the room lying next to her. [I've told her since Santa brought it, she cannot sleep with the cradle IN the bed, it can lie on the floor NEXT to her bed.] Well, by opening our monitor on my phone, I see that she's finally ASLEEP with said cradle next to her head, and I am NOT opening that door to move it. 

Lord help me. 

Okay, so shew! It's FRIDAY! And I've had a whopping three days at home alone with the kids. Yesterday we got two inches of snow so that meant the schools were closed (laughing so hard), but I suppose it's for the best; there were 120 accidents in the morning during regular commute! This city and snow just don't mix. But that also meant a day off with my husband and we thoroughly enjoyed the day: sledding, hot chocolate, a trip to Target, watching the snow fall outside; I'll do a whole blog post soon but not now. I'd like to hurry up and finish this so that I can go shower and MAYBE lie down for a few minutes before the children are awake again! 

Browsing Instagram this week I quickly stopped scrolling when I came to a picture posted by Kristen (@oldjoy). She had a gorgeous photo of donuts and a link to her blog post. I had to check it out because 1. I love to bake and 2. donuts are my jam. 

Because today is Friday, and I wanted to celebrate surviving my first (half) week (more laughing) doing this whole stay at home mom thing; the kids and I made donuts. I asked their previous sitter [a dear friend of mine] and her 1-year old to join us, and that was really fun to spend some adult time while the kids semi-played together. 

I made the frosting for these first, and I literally just replicated Kristen's recipe: 

1. melt 2 TBS butter
2. mix 1.5c of powdered sugar and the melted butter
3. add milk slowly, 1TBS at at time (she used 4, I ended up using 5)
 
And for the donuts, I used a simple Pilsbury cake mix (strawberry) that literally just needs to be poured into a bowl and beat on medium speed with 3 eggs and 1/2 cup of vegetable oil. 

The kids helped (oh yes, helped is such a kind word here) and were very anxious for the donuts to be done cooking and cooling so we could cover them with icing. (Once they're completely cooled, just flip the donut upside down and dip in the icing mixture.) We added sprinkles to ours and they turned out super cute. 

Next time I think I'll add vanilla or something to the icing mixture? It was good, but for my personal preference tasted a little too much like plain sugar. OH, and I should mention that I used a simple donut maker pan (purchased from Amazon) to make these cuties. Anyway, time to run! I'm super excited for this time I have with these rugrats (my friend's 1-year old Jadon is pictured above, he is the sweetest human ever); and I also so glad that it's FRIDAY and we all get a weekend with Daddy. Cheers, friends! Happy donut making and TGIF!

beloved morgan

Sisters, I could not be more excited to share this lady with you. I stumbled upon her Instagram feed months ago and when I saw where she lived, close (ish) to my parents home in Michigan, I squealed. I was all giddy and knew that I wanted to meet her. Her gorgeous farmhouse has been my dream for a *very* long time; but not just for her HOUSE; her captions always made me laugh, her two boys looked darling (they are!) and she is just a really big inspiration to MANY! 

If you haven't yet gotten familiar with the Beloved Woman, well then first, welcome! This article is part of a brand new series here on the blog and I am so pumped you are here. My mission this year is to celebrate women worldwide, to somehow make you feel loved, valued, and cherished. I want to photograph you, hug you, and share YOUR story with readers everywhere. So with all of that said, please grab your warmest blanket (because I'm freezing as I type), a large cup of tea, and enjoy this post, celebrating my dear friend and sister: Morgan Ford.

I wasn't able to meet her husband, but she shared the sweetest stuff about him when we talked:
"He was my next door neighbor, but being in the country, that means we were a mile apart.  I always wished he was my age so I could date him, or that his parents had more kids because I wanted a boy just like him! He told me after we married that he had long ago told his best friend that he had always been looking for a girl just like me! Our families always had a small Christmas together.  He hadn't come to one in years and was finally there there one Christmas six years ago.  Boy, did we hit it off!  He asked me to see a movie on Christmas Eve.  I was at a family Christmas party at the time and told my grandfather I was going home because I had a date!  I told him who it was with and he said "Ohhhh no, that boy is trouble." It made me laugh because being in a small town, of course everyone knows everybody! (And of course he had been in trouble a few times and my family knew all about his "wild streak.") Fast forward a few months (or maybe it was just weeks??) to the moment I knew he was the one.  It was cold and dark out.  He was taking me somewhere and had the truck all warmed up for me.  He had to get out to close the barn doors and had a pair of very worn leather gloves in his back pocket with a Carhartt jacket and jeans.  Something about that moment, I just remember feeling a sign or a whisper that he was the one.  Right then and there...it was nothing he did or said, but just a moment that stood still in time and a feeling that warmed my heart.  He was and is my only one."

Morgan is a nurse and fluctuates working between her closest town's local urgent care and ER. She says:

"Sometimes I think I would be better at picking or paint colors than reading EKGs, but this pays the bills and warms my heart caring for those in need. I work most weekends, as we don't have daycare, and I try to find the family-work-life balance by being home with my family."

So first of all, are you not completely in awe of their farmhouse?! The wood stove she told me heats their entire home (awesome!) and they have COMPLETELY redone the home themselves. No hired help, just them. She and her husband have been married for three years and says they haven't vacationed since their honeymoon. 

"We took a trip up north in his old rust bucket of a truck. We planned a five day trip touring the Upper Peninsula and ended up in Copper Harbor Bay the third day, in a quaint cabin. My husband looked at me and said, "You know here my favorite place is?" Where, I asked. "With you and at home!" We headed straight for home the next morning, because it's just where we both longed to be. We don't vacation or drive fancy vehicles. We have a few beat up trucks that he has built on his bolt and he's turned every bolt on them. We don't go out to dinner anymore, more than once every few months. We invest all our pennies on this home, where we are the happiest. This is his grandparents home that we have fixed up, and we did it while each working full time. My hubby wouldn't even change his boots when he came home, he went straight back to work making this house our home. We both dream to fix some fences this summer and hopefully get some animals to raise with our growing family."

I have photographed a LOT of people, and therefore a lot of women. I find a common thread amongst us all: we don't really feel all that beautiful, and we are in actuality pretty hard on ourselves. That's another reason I wanted to launch this series--because I want to help you as women feel gorgeous, if even for thirty minutes, and to help you feel a little more confident. I asked Morgan when did/does she feel the most beautiful and this was her response:

"I felt the most beautiful pregnant with each of the boys; primarily from the third to eighth month...and then I struggled with feeling big and miserable." (I totally have been there!!) And she said, "I really feel beautiful when my heart is full and happy. Life has its' ups and downs, but when my husband comes home from a long day at work and he has the babies giggling and I have dinner ready on the table, I feel THE happiest and most secure. When my hair is a mess and I have zero makeup on, he'll look at me and tell me that I'm beautiful. THAT'S when I feel it. It's always when I least expect it; his love is the icing on a cake to make me feel so loved and radiant."

Her sons, Auburn who will be two in February, and Woodrow who is three months, are just wonderful. There is something about following someone on social media and only seeing tiny glimpses of their live via virtual squares, and then getting to MEET them and the people in those frames--well, it's just incredible. My sister in law accompanied me on this trip (it was an hour drive, not too shabby but I greatly appreciated her company!) and as we pulled up, I was giddy with delight. Their dog Wyatt was literally just waiting on the porch, wagging his tail, and I felt like we had been forever best friends. When I got to wrap my arms around Morgan and squeeze her tight AND meet her tiny little humans, I was so ecstatic. Friends, this is the part of social media that I adore: getting to meet the wonderful people you connect with and establish life long friendships/relationships with them. 

I asked Morgan what she hopes to instill in her children and she replied: 

"I really hope both boys have a kind and forgiving heart. And that they will have ambition to do ANYTHING that they set forth to do. I want them to have the tenacity to fight through life's ups and downs, and to never allow life to break their spirits and endeavors."

Morgan has been running The Whitefarmhouse Blog on Instagram for a little over a year. With almost 50k followers, I'd say she leaves QUITE the impression on people who stumble upon her page. You can view her blog here, and check out some behind the scenes of her daily life. Morgan is a wife, mama, nurse, wonderful designer, and a sweet friend to many. What an honor it has been to interview her for this series. 

Give Morgan some love in the comments below and don't forget, YOU can nominate a lady for this series!! Think of someone who deeply inspires you, who you believe has a story the world needs to hear. And thank you again to my sister in law Beth, for journeying with me and helping be the Baby Whisperer that she is :D 

New Year, No Resolution

2016 was an incredible year. I mean really and truly, more positive and exciting things happened for me business wise that I never could have imagined. I remember last December, planning to launch this blog with the sole intention of seeing if I would enjoy it. I wanted a space to document our family, my writing and keep somewhat of an online journal. Never in a million years would I have fathomed that my Body Shaming post would reach as far as ABC, Good Morning America, the Huffington Post, UK blogs, and far beyond. In fact, I wouldn't have believed you if you told me that was in store for me. Nor did I fathom having the honor of working with the American Girl Company, being featured in their catalogue, and them using my Heritage blog post on THEIR website! Childhood Ashley would be flipping out, and honestly, adult me was anyway! This is not to brag or gloat, but it is a reminder to myself that while I set out to do something small (in my mind), the Lord had different intentions and He brought this MUCH further than my heart could see.

He is GOOD!

And I don't want to forget that. But days prior to New Years Eve, I found myself feeling really scared. I was fearful, doubtful, worried, that 2017 wouldn't be nearly as good. I didn't really HAVE any expectations going into 2016, and because my mind was blown, I feel like I should be expecting something even more radical going forward. But why? I don't think that this should be the case. Facebook told me that one of my 'resolutions' for 2016 was to eventually stay home with the kids. And guess what? My husband returns to his classroom to teach on Tuesday and this mama doesn't! I get to STAY HOME, practically for nine months. That HAPPENED! But I guess there's this part of me that is worried that that I need to book a ton more weddings, turn this blog into something huge, so that I can have the option of staying home with Reese when her brother starts kindergarten come August.

But wait, Ashley. One day at a time.

That's what my 2017 needs to consist of. So many of my friends have shared their 'one word' they believe God is calling them to live this year: Proactive, Intentional, Trust, Present, Confident; and so many more. After many nights of lying in bed praying and listening, I realize what the Lord is calling ME to do:

Believe

Will I be a good stay at home mom? Will the kids like it? Will I like it? Will I be strong enough? Will I be able to book a lot more weddings? Will I be able to take this blog further? (What does that even mean?!) Will I ever have another beautiful home NOT in our current neighborhood? Will I ever live on land? Will I have a horse? Will I go back to teaching? Will I teach forever? Will we stay in Kentucky forever?

Just BELIEVE

Look at all the GOOD things God did in our lives this last year. And yes, I'm saying this firmly to myself. All of those things do not mean that 2017 is going to go KERPLUNK. I don't need to have ANY answers right now, all I need to do is to take one day at a time. Starting Tuesday, in just two short days, I will literally be a stay at home mom and working from home. That's a HUGE dream turning into a reality!

I don't really have any typical New Years Resolutions this year. In 2015 I baked a new pie every single month in honor of my Grandmother, and it's the only one I have ever kept. I have some goals to work out a few days a week, to continue strengthening my core, but more than ever; my goal is to believe in the plans the Lord has for our life. I want to be strong for my children, happy for my children, and healthy. And all the while, I want to believe that my Creator has only good planned for my life, even if and when His answers are difficult to hear.

**What about you, friends? What are you hoping to focus more on in this New Year? I don't think resolutions are a bad thing, but I think that they can be deflating; that when you mess up or don't live up to it, you suddenly feel like you can't continue on. The point of falling down is to learn to stand back up--so when I find myself sinking in disbelief, I want to remember THIS. I want to remember how great our God is, how abundantly blessed we really are. Leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail. I love getting to know you, wherever you are reading from!**

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Prov. 3:5-6

A Christmas Themed Breakfast

I was browsing Pinterest back in November finding cute holiday crafts and recipes for the upcoming Christmas season. You know though how you always Pin stuff and then completely forget about it though?! That's what I did. But luckily I was scanning through my food board this week for new things to try with the kids and there it was, these holiday themed pancakes. We even had ALL the ingredients [because they're super simple + honestly you could use whatever you wanted I think!] The kids *loved* watching their daddy cook these and they even more so loved designing the faces of the snowman, reindeer and none other but Santa himself!

I've seen things like raspberries used in place of the strawberries for Santa's hat, blueberries for the eyes, a round chunk of cheese for the reindeer's eye, and much more! This took my husband maybe ten minutes top to cook the pancakes and just a few extra for the bacon. I *highly* recommend trying this with your little ones, regardless of their ages! Or heck, do it just for you because what's better than Cool Whip spread all over a yummy pancake?!

Enjoy, Y'all! I would LOVE to see your photos if you try this at home. Tag @ashley_glass on Instagram and use the hashtag #ashleyglassblog so that I can see it! And comment below with which one was YOUR holiday favorite. Merry Christmas, friends!