Bright Sun Shiny Day

I’ve been talking about intentional and authentic living all week. Choosing to live well through all the aspects of my life is something I truly care about.

One thing I am seeking to grow more in is Joy.

Happiness depends on circumstances, but Joy is something that you carry within your spirit. It’s an unwavering gift given to us by The Father. So often I find that my joy is stolen away when perfection, comparison, and bitterness creep in.

Joy, thankfulness, and selflessness go hand in hand. When we stop focusing on negative things (and ourselves) our mood lightens up and our spirit is brightened with each passing moment.

We have to be a people who are less insecure and be a people focused on spending quality time with our creator. We have to know who we are in order to bring love, joy, and peace to others. Psalm 16:11 says, “In your presence is fullness of joy.”  That’s where I NEED to be.

I want to bring more joy into my marriage, my friendships, my work place, and to the random strangers I meet on the street.

Go into this weekend full of expectation and wonder! Seek hope and joy in all that you do and carry a smile with you wherever you go.

Happy Friday Y’all

Image via Pinterest

-Pinions & Lace

Lemon Water

I have always loved drinking water. I’ve never been a big fan for sugary cokes or tea. However, I know that for most people drinking regular H2O isn’t all that simple.

According to studies 75% of American’s are chronically dehydrated – yikes!

Dehydration does a lot more harm to your body than you think. It can cause digestive disorders, fatigue, asthma, allergies, joint stiffness, and high cholesterol.

Anyways, let’s talk about lemon water and why you need to start drinking it NOW!

You should drink warm lemon water every single morning! I add water to my electronic kettle every night before I go to bed. After I shower I head over to the kitchen to boil my water. Now, I am pretty sensitive to heat so I never fully boil my water.

While I am waiting for the water to get to the desired temperature I cut up my lemon.  I normally squeeze half of a lemon into my cup. I also recommend using a straw, because having all that acid directly on your teeth every morning can wear on your enamel.

To add even more benefits to your drink add 1/8 tsp. of organic cayenne pepper. Cayenne pepper will heat up your body and increase your metabolism. It’s a great and SAFE way to get rid of toxins and lose weight.

My intentional living challenge for the day is to go one full week drinking warm lemon water every morning. I promise you that you will feel and see the difference it makes!

Grab a cute mug and enjoy!

– Pinions and Lace

 

Organic

Choosing to live a healthy eating lifestyle has it’s difficult moments when your favorite food is chips, queso, and salsa. I mean come on, who doesn’t love deep fried goodness dipped in cheese?

Anyway, at the beginning of our marriage we lived in Boulder, Colorado. The way people think about food their is very different than the South. There was access to so much more organic choices and we were informed on the dangerous effects that sugar and GMO’s have on our bodies.

Our bodies are a temple. We should treat them as such.

One thing I always here from my friends when we are discussing eating organically is “It costs to much.” It really saddens me that we so easily believe the lies food corporations have told us. There can be some sacrifice when it comes to eating naturally, however would you knowingly ingest harmful chemicals into your body. I hope not, because you are worth more than that.

One that you should always buy organic is produce. There is a list called the “Dirty Dozen” which refers to all the fruits and veggies that should NEVER EVER be bought unless they are organic. They will contain harmful pesticides and chemicals.

My intentional living challenge for the day is for you to eat entirely organic for one day! Here are some tips and recipes I think you will find easy AND delicious!

Tips:

1 // When at your natural grocery store look for the sale items! Don’t feel the need to have to buy the most expensive things. They have clearance items just like any other store!

2 // Go in with the attitude that your putting great things into your body. You wouldn’t wear a horrible outfit just because it was a cheaper purchase. Invest well into yourself!

3 // Get informed about local farmer’s markets in your area. We buy from Bountiful Baskets! It is so much cheaper and we you should have a lot of fun being involved in a local community of people with the same ideas as you!

Recipes:

Breakfast // Organic Eggs, Toast, and Almond Butter. Buy Rudi’s Organic Whole Wheat Bread

Lunch // Grilled Avocado with Melted Cheese & Hot Sauce

Dinner // Portabello Mushroom Pizza

If you would like more information about easy ways to eat organic and how sugar affects the body I would love to talk to you about it. Comment below and we can chat!

Also check out Food Babe’s list on How To Eat Organic on A Budget

Image via Free People

-Pinions & Lace