Eight Things I'm Loving Right Now

1. <3 My new "niece"  <3 Miss Norah Claire <3 Such a beautiful name <3 My best friend had her baby girl a three weeks ago!!!! I'm in love with her little fingers and toes, face and hair. Both mommy and baby are doing well, and I can't wait to spoil her and cuddle her and give lots and lots of kisses...oh, and Jess, too <3

2. Earlier this month, my church finished a series called "FIT" (having a fit mind, body, and heart). It was brilliant, touching, and perfect for the season I felt God was bringing me through. Now my pastor is in the middle of a "Family Matters" series. It's times like these when I know I am not alone, God listens when I call out to Him. I pray these messages continue touching my heart.

3. Pulling out my spring clothes from storage. I am over with the cold and snow and winter, and I want to see more green, pastels, and less sweaters and mittens. I'm usually a fan of winter, but this season has been very temperamental this year, even for Ohio, and I'm over it. Yesterday was a high of 72 degrees! In March! In northeast Ohio! I'm going straight for my flip-flops.

4. Finding, no making the time for my yoga practice. Every day. Whether it's a full-on 70 minutes of Holy Yoga, a 30-minute leg routine, or a couple of sun salutations. Making time for it daily is one of my top priorities right now. I need to put the books down! <--- I can't believe I just typed that, haha

5. After Mr. B touched up the upstairs hallway with a new coat of white, he painted the doors, their frames, and the built-in cabinet storage all white. We also have cream-colored carpet up there. This winter we decided there was way too much white in that little area. I need color. I love color. I was game for any color. Mr. B chose red. A beautiful red. We painted it a few weekends ago. It's beautiful. It's still white, but not so white.

6. Since Lent, I've been having my "bullet" coffee almost every morning. Just black coffee with a tablespoon of coconut oil. Using my hand mixer, I combine until it's creamy and frothy. It's so deliciously good I should feel guilty. See part of my fasting during this Lenten season, besides fasting one meal a day, I gave up my calorie-laden beverages from Starbucks. (If it's not a black Americano or red eye, or unsweetened tea, it's on hold until after Easter.) Because of the sugar, and lately it's all I've been craving. Caramel macchiatos. Dirty chais. Steamed apple juice with a pump of chai. It's saving me money as well. My bullet coffee easily curbs these sugar cravings.

7. My latest movie love is The Age of Adaline. I don't know why I love this movie so much, but I am in love with this movie. I found it so beautiful. A different kind of love story. I cried. I laughed. I watched it and then watched it again. There was beauty and heartache. And the casting was perfect.

8. All my life I have been a purple girl. I love purple. I want everything purple. Lately, I want pink. All the pink things. I even dug out a pink-patterened VB purse from my closet because I had to have PINK.

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

My Beautiful Month

In case you aren't on Instagram, or don't follow me, here's a peek at my Insta-Life lately.
[*All photos are taken from my Instagram account.]

My step father-in-law turned 61. Time to celebrate!

We're getting Easter eggs. It's so ombre.

One of my favorite childhood memories.

Fun with all things Under the Sea at work.

Enjoying a 60+ degree day with a walk through the park. Mr. Darcy was beyond excited.

My traditional gnocchi Oscars meal. (My food was much better than the Oscars....)

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Eight Things I'm Loving Right Now

1.  Everyone is all about the Pumpkin Spice Lattes. All about the PSLs. However, I'm all about the Pumpkin Spice Americanos. I'm all about the #PSAs. I'm starting a movement. Jump on that bandwagon, people! It's delicious.

2. A bandwagon I have jumped on is Shakeology. But I don't like it. I wish I did because so many do. However, it's expensive so Mr. B is glad I don't. I'm trying my hardest to mix the protein packets with whatever fruit, coffee, nut butter, and milk I can find. A few mixtures I can tolerate, others... not so much. BUT, I am loving the CIZE workout program I signed up for with the Shakeology. It's cardio. It's moving. It's dancing. I am having a blast! LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. Now, I'm looking for another program I might want for Christmas....

3.This breakfast obsession has now turned into a quick dinner love affair. I ate this pear, egg, and cheese combo for five meals straight before I actually realized I'd been eating it for five meals straight. Although I'm currently not eating it for every meal, I am returning to it about every other day. I can't help it, these pears are so juicy right now!

4. Now that school is back in session, kids are overtaking the library. I can't help but love searching the stacks and asking question after question until I find a child or parent the book they're looking for. I love going on these little treasure hunts, whether it's for a school assignment or a book to share at bed time, I love finding something the patron will enjoy.

5.It's fall so that means TV shows are back in full swing. And that actually means nothing to me because we don't have cable, but we have some hi-tech bunny ears that give us access to the local channels. And that means I am loving my Hawaii Five-O and Blue Bloods. The only shows I watch. And last seasons' episodes are now on Netflix!! Woot. Woot. I am a big, huge fan of McGarrett. Mr. B is well aware ;)

6. With the weather changing and all, I'm getting back into the routine of using my doterra difuser at night. I'm obsessed with the Cassia; it's cinnamon fragrance is wonderful and calming, which actually helps Mr. Darcy relax more quickly around bed time. It's fantastic.

7. Trader Joe's Pumpkin Spice Rooibos Herbal Tea. In love. I must have a cup in the afternoon at work. I must have a cup in the evening after dinner. I must say, it is fall in a cup.

8. Oh, and do I need to mention FALL. And FOOTBALL. And chilly weather. And the BEAUTIFUL outside scenery. And APPLES, PUMPKINS, and CIDER! I am so blessed to be living in such a lovely state to experience THE best season. Gosh, I cannot tell you all how much it it my favorite.


With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Lately

1. It's National Don't Go To Work Unless It's Fun Day. Three cheers for that, I say! It's always fun at my job, and today my kiddos are making bunny masks for preschool story time. We're reading books, playing with puppets, practicing rabbit yoga poses, shaking eggs, and jumping and counting. All before noon, I might add. It's FUN. Yes, the library is a RIOT.

2. These past few days my afternoon treat has been a mason jar of iced coffee instead of an iced La Croix. Not sure why the switch; I guess my morning coffee isn't enough. I suspect it may have to do with my busy afternoons and coffee seems more filling than water when I can't grab a snack.

3. Who is ready for Spring Break? Hands waving over here!! I have dreams of sipping an iced beverage on my deck. Maybe weeding the garden. Praying for sunshine. Starting some spring cleaning. Possibly a day trip to who knows where. Ahhh, Spring Break. We get one of those in the adult world, right?

Wait. What?

4. Keith Urban and Eric Church. Love 'em. I'm hoping they perform their new song on the 19th at the ACM Awards. "Raise 'Em Up" is just perfectly wonderful. A beautiful song. The radio needs to play the heck out of this. ASAP.

5. I was super excited to see Brooke Boon featured in May's Yoga Journal. Actually, I squealed. Finally! I was so happy to see YJ highlighting various yoga practices that are available to yogis, like Holy Yoga. This practice is a combination of yoga and scripture, meditating on God's Word. And it's the way I've always practiced even before I was introduced to Holy Yoga last year. I get on my mat to relieve stress, to stay fit, to stretch my body, but mainly it's where I seek my Father. It's where I listen for that still, small voice. It's where I find peace and comfort. It's where I converse, relating my gratitude and fears.

"We practice with our minds set on whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy (Phil 4:8), not with our minds emptied. We meditate on the wisdom of God's Word (Psalm 119:9-16, 26-27), not on man's wisdom. We seek the transcendence and glory of God, not our own." (holyyoga.net)

6. Mr. B and I are in desperate need of a date night. And by date night I mean dinner and a movie. By movie I mean an actual theater and not Netflix. I need this because there are so many movies I want to see right now and I don't want to wait. Like Do You Believe? and Insurgent and Furious 7 and Cinderella and do I need to remind you it's almost AVENGERS time?!?!

Has anyone seen any of these?

7. And BASEBALL. Mr. B's Sports Illustrated arrived in the mail predicting the Cleveland Indians will win the World Series this year. Am I dreaming?! You better not have just jinxed our season, SI!

I will hunt you down.

I know people.


With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

My Beautiful Month

In case you aren't on Instagram, or don't follow me, here's a peek at my Insta-Life lately.
[*All photos are taken from my Instagram account.]

Received my first Creative Scripture Card in the mail this month. I love the idea of swapping scripture with women all over the country. Such a fantastic idea! It's a great way to bring the word of God to others and to meet Jesus-loving ladies :) #cscswap

Making Mr. Darcy his birthday puppy ice cream. (aka ---> frozen bananas with peanut butter and plain Greek yogurt)

We have chickens!! SIX of them. And, yes, I named them all. However, I'm sure Mr. B will never remember. I'll share details in another post. Eeekkkk!

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Lately

1. [Wo]man down. These instant temperature changes have me down. Allergies have me down. I missed three days of work... but hey, I caught up on sleep. Go me.

2. And during those three days I parked myself, quite comfortably, on the couch with nonstop episodes of Hawaii Five-O. Re-watching all my favorite episodes. <--- read: all of the episodes. Oh, Steve McGarrett. :)

3. Every day for my afternoon snack I have a La Croix and a rice cake smeared with light cream cheese and all natural almond butter. I. CAN'T. STOP. It's my daily power fix. My guilty pleasure. The day is perfect for 10 minutes. Y'all should try it.

4. Mr. B has been quite the busy bee. He's painting doors, building chicken coops, taking me to Lowe's almost every day (with promises of swinging by Target --- side story, while I was sick he actually asked if I wanted to go to Target to restock my La Croix supply and to get me Starbucks to make me feel better...he's sweet.) where I promptly wanted to buy every piece of deck furniture I laid eyes on. Can you tell we're excited for spring?

5. And the heavens opened up. The angels sang. And I got my new coffee pot. Wait. You mean coffee pots don't take a half an hour to brew six cups? I feel spoiled. Stop it.

And it's programmable! Hello, to waking up to the smells of tall, dark, and strong.

(Oh, and a mug of steaming coffee. ....Of course, I meant Mr. B.)

6. Ummm, this pup will be ONE next week. What?!

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Good Morning Frappe

This is my GOOD MORNING! Healthier Coffee Mocha Frappe.

And, y'all, just looking at these photos makes me want to rush into my kitchen and make one of these bad boys immediately.

It is THE most perfect way to enjoy the leftovers in the pot you didn't quite finish off yesterday. I am a die-hard iced coffee fan anyway, but sometimes I WANT more than just coffee and ice. I WANT less than a thousand-calorie beverage. I WANT the assumption I'm enjoying something I should feel guilty about. I WANT something that's not going to load my body with a ton of sugar in the early hours. I WANT creamy and caffeinated but will keep me full until an early lunch. I WANT fast... as in I should have left 10 minutes ago.

Because of these WANTS, I created this fantastic homemade frappe.

YUM-O.
PERFECTION.

It's also easy to adjust the recipe to the ingredients you have or the taste you want. I like plain protein powder, but if you want a little sweetness, use vanilla. Or better yet, chocolate. Not a fan of cottage cheese, use plain Greek yogurt instead. Out of chia seeds? Toss in a spoonful of flax seeds. Not sure about the coconut oil? Leave it out. (Or try butter. Bulletproof coffee, anyone?)

This morning frappe can also star as a mid-afternoon snack or a late night dessert. Just add a natural sweetener if you'd like it a bit more decadent, such as honey, maple syrup, or a few slices of a frozen banana. And thicken it! (Extra ice or a pinch of xanthan gum will do the trick.) So you can eat it with a spoon. It's like coffee mocha ice cream.

Some days I drink half in the morning and save the other half for an after dinner treat. When I get home I throw the rest of it back in the blender with a pinch of xanthan gum and one or two more ice cubes. What a delicious treat to come home to! :)

Good Morning Frappe

Serves 1 or 2

3/4 c unsweetened almond milk
3/4 c strongly brewed coffee, cold
1 T coconut oil
1 T chia seeds
1/4 c cottage cheese
1 scoop plain protein powder
1 T unsweetened cocoa powder
handful of ice

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender (place ice in last); blend until desired consistency. Top with coconut whipped cream, if desired. Drink up!

Nutritional Information (without whipped cream) for one serving:
344 Calories, 24 Fat, 3 Sugar, 28 Protein, 10 Fiber

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Virtual Coffee Date

Welcome. It's January 2014 2015.

 I rang in the new year with a never-ending Root Beer Float. It was fantastic.

Ohhhh, if we were having coffee right now, we'd be bundled up at a nearby Starbucks with big cups thawing our hands. I would have brought along my portable heater, insisting we sit near an outlet so our toes stay warm while we chit-chat about the cold weather, the ridiculousness of school closings (I'm sure my readers in colder states are laughing at us Ohioans, and be sure, I'm laughing right along with you), and how if the kids can bundle up to head to the mall or outside to build Olaf, they can bundle up to head to school.

[Disclaimer: If I was a kid and school was cancelled, I'd be thrilled. If I was still in college, I'd be thrilled. If I was teacher, I'd be thrilled. However, as an adult I can look back knowing school was only cancelled if roads were hazardous. And I lived in the country where there was a lot of blowing and vision problems, yet very seldom did we celebrate a snow day. I could go on and on, but my coffee is getting cold. I digress.]

I guess we can all relax and huddle under a blanket since this is a "virtual" coffee date. Pour yourself another mug and get comfy; I have some new things I'd like to share.

But first, I want to know how you take your coffee. What's your favorite coffee beverage? I take my coffee black. The stronger the better. Actually, I prefer straight espresso. Or an Americano. The stronger the better. If we were at Starbucks, and I was using my reward drink, I'd get a Caramel Frappy with five shots of espresso. As I said, the stronger the better. (And, yes, even in negative-degree weather, I still drink iced coffee. I'll layer up to drive somewhere to get ice cream, too. We all have our needs, weather temperatures be... well, you know.)

If we were having coffee, I'd surely ask you about your Christmas gifts! What was the best gift, best moment of your Christmas? My favorite gift was from my friend Jessica; no, the other Jessica, in Tampa. She sent everyone in our book club a copy of the first book we read, The Secret Garden, and this awesome reading journal. It was so personal and thoughtful; I loved it. I'm using it to keep track of all our book club reads. I couldn't wait to grab a pencil and start filling it out.

But my most favorite, the very best Christmas gift were the GARTH BROOKS tickets my husband spent hours online waiting to purchase. He knew seeing Garth was at the top of my bucket list, had been since I made my list back in 2003, right before my senior year. (Actually, the very first item on my list was to graduate from high school. Hey, I wanted to start out with something easily attainable and that I'd be able to cross off soon. Items crossed off give you a sense of accomplishment, you know?)

Since we're having coffee this morning, I'd like to tell you what I have planned for Sweet B's Impressions this year. I always like to give the blog a review, looking back on what received the most views, posts I liked, didn't like, things I want to continue.


Coming to Sweet B's this 2015:

• More recipes! More recipes! More recipes!
• "Sunday Sweets." I'm hoping to bring this back once a month. It's morphed quite a bit throughout its previous posts; I'm hoping to keep a constant flow during this monthly post. 
• "Favorites Lately." I'd love to not drop the ball on this one because I really enjoy sharing with y'all my current likes, must-haves, splurges, and obsessions.
• What I have dropped the ball on are my "What I'm Reading" posts. I'm sure y'all are wondering where these posts are hidden because there have to be posts...she's a librarian for crying out loud. Doesn't she read?! Apparently, too much so.

She is too fond of books, and it has turned her brain. ---Louisa may Alcott

• Possibly a "Cooking Series"...not sure exactly on what, and this would be where I ask your opinion. What do you like? What would you like to see on Sweet B's?
• More house updates.
• Mr. Darcy. He clearly isn't on here enough.
• Practicing the presence of God on the blog more, rather than just in my daily life. I want to bring that closeness here. Share with y'all my devotionals, testimonies, the goodness of my Lord and Savior. Another gift I really enjoyed this Christmas was Beth Moore's Whispers of Hope. Mama gave it to me, my aunt, a few others, and bought one for herself. We're doing the 10-week devotional together as a family. I love this, and although we've just started and haven't had a chance to chat, I hope my other family members are enjoying this devotional journey as well.
• Surveys. Lists. Insights. Yes. More, please!
• Oh, and I can't forget my plans to share more about my work as a children's librarian.

There may be a few other goals I have thought on, but I'm still listening to God, waiting to see what his plans for this blog and for our family are in 2015.

I love planning, looking at what the new year may bring. I'm excited to get started.

Suggestions are welcomed. I think I'll have another cup.

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

My Beautiful Month

In case you aren't on Instagram, or don't follow me, here's a peek at my Insta-Life lately.
[*All photos are taken from my Instagram account.]

Some of my favorite things: Target, Starbucks, Vera Bradley, and plaid.

Breakfast parfait. So good I almost feel guilty!

First batch of apple butter of the season.

Mr. B let his birthday balloon go...into a beautiful sky.

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi