Today marks the one year anniversary of this blog...where does time go?! It honestly does not feel like an entire year yet. I want to celebrate this special occasion by reflecting on what I love about this blog, what I wish to change, and plans in the future.

I absolutely love having a way to connect with family. When I created this blog I wasn't on any social media. I wanted a way to share what was happening in our lives and pictures of Zaylen with friends and family without having to send out emails or make a social media account. However, I have since re-joined Instagram, so if you're a part of that please look me up. I figured a blog would be the best way to keep up with everyone and keep them up to date on things.

I wrote pretty slow at first, we were dealing with some things for a few months right after I started blogging and it was the last thing on my mind. Once Zaylen arrived I was able to pick up the pace on writing, but I still have moments where it takes me a while to type a post. Anyways, I enjoy being able to share things with our families and friends who we don't see or talk to that often.

I also really take pleasure in writing. I've always liked it; whether it be a story, a research paper, or just some notes. Writing is such an amazing outlet for me. My days are filled to the brim these days and there is nothing better than sitting down at the end of the day with a hot cup of water and typing. I find comfort in that.

Likewise, I enjoy sharing things I'm passionate about with other people. This blog started as almost like a diary type of set up, but it has evolved into a place where I can express my feelings and emotions about different subjects. Motherhood, marriage, and natural living are all areas I study and live. And it's an awesome feeling being able to share my journeys and tips on things and to hear back from people saying they learned something.

This blog has been a success so far and it has developed into more than I envisioned at first. With that being said, there is always room for improvement, right? There are a few gadgets I want to advance and change, but I can't really talk about that because I'm learning how to do all that right now. Hopefully I can change those things and add character to the blog. I also want to hear back from more readers. I'm not exactly sure how to spark that up, however I'm sure I can figure it out as well.

There is one thing I have planned for the future. This is actually on my Vision Board (post soon!) and something I strongly desire to accomplish within the next year. I want to take this blog to the next step and make it into a website. A real .com. I think that would be great and with the level of viewers I'm starting to collect, I think this could possibly become a way of income. I'll talk more about this when I post about my Vision Board so stay tuned!

There you have it...just a few simple ideas and reflections about this real life journal. If you have any ideas or suggestions I would love to hear back from you!!

xoxo
Cursty

For a while I have been parent/child watching. Not in a creepy way at all, but more like observing different parents with their children. Some feed their children Cheetos for a snack, others allow an unlimited electronic time. Many parents use commercial body products, and some don't mind their child drinking soda. All of this "watching" has given me inspiration for this post. I am very active in the toxins I allow near my child. I have been this way since the day I found out I was pregnant. This is probably the reason why he is 9.5 months old and has never been sick. No cough, no fever, nothing. Well, besides that one red butt he had a few weeks ago. I don't mean to brag, but I keep my son healthy. And I want to share with you how to have a healthy child by reducing the amount of toxins you allow on and in his/her body.

When I first started researching different products and items, I had no idea the terror I was about to learn. The number of chemicals and toxins in every day things we use is unfathomable. Many of you may not even have suspected harmful toxins being in some of the items around your baby. So I just want to share a few ways to avoid those toxins in hopes that someone will be able to learn something and grow from it. Please enjoy and send me feedback if you have other ways you reduce toxins in your child's life!





1. Serve them real food

I can never stress enough the importance of eating real food. The food that this generation is consuming is poison, literally poison. Genetically Modified Organisms, pesticides, antibiotics, growth hormones, artificial food coloring, high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oils, artificial sweeteners, monosodium glutamate, butylated hydroxyanisole, butylated hydroxytoluene, sodium benzoate...can I stop now? These are very common harmful ingredients in every day foods we feed our children. I have a saying, "If you can't pronounce a word on the ingredient list, you don't buy the product." Eating real, raw foods given to us by Mother Earth doesn't come with a label, that is such amazing news!! We don't have to read what's in an apple or a head of lettuce. Although, I suggest always buying organic produce. It's just so much better than commercially grown foods. But there are instances where we have to feed our babies items from a box, and that is more than okay as long as you read the ingredients and make a healthy choice. By choosing snacks that have the "USDA Organic" seal on them, you are feeding your precious little ones great things!

Toxins do get eliminated from the body, but most hang on and enjoy the ride while messing up our organs and doing bad damage. No, that bag of chips probably won't kill you, but over time bad food choices lead to diabetes, heart attacks, high blood pressure, and even cancer. The best way to erase toxins from your child's life is to give them real food. Food is such a powerful healer!

Another note on this topic, always give your children filtered water. Want to know what's in tap water? Arsenic, aluminum, lead, fluoride, and even pHARMaceuticals. Filtered water will filter out all of these except fluoride. Not even Brita and Pur filters erase the fluoride. There are filters that do, but they have to be special ordered and cost a bit of money. Real food and filtered water are the first steps in reducing bad toxins.

2. Avoid harmful products

Now that we've discussed what goes into your child's body, let's talk about what you put on his sweet body. Have you ever taken the time to read the ingredients listed on the back of that shampoo bottle? What about the lotion you rub into their skin each night? Ugh, I don't know where to begin. Skin is the largest organ in the human body and I personally think is one of the most important. This is the first line of defense against outside threats, it acts as a thermoregulator, balances our water levels, and is a store house for our body. The skin is super cool! Although the skin has a low permeability rate, that can get messed up when chemicals are constantly applied. When these harmful substances are rubbed onto our skin, they break down and move through our cells and enter into our circulatory system. When those chemicals enter our circulatory system, it's game over, they are already spread throughout our entire body.

Babies and children especially have such delicate skin and we should be using the very best on them! Parabens are some of my worst nightmares. I'm not going to name names, but the biggest baby product company out there has products filled with these awful chemicals. Buy from a good trusted company who is organically certified and who uses beautiful ingredients, or make your own. Shampoo, lotion, cradle cap cream, diaper ointment, eczema lotion, toothpaste...read the ingredients in every product you put on your child's body. If harmful chemicals are in them, throw them away and invest in health items. You can't put a price tag on health.

I refuse to go into this topic because of the amount of controversy, but vaccines are major toxin vessels. If you haven't already, please research the ingredients in these dangerous poison cocktails. Thimerosal, aluminum, formaldehyde, bovine extract, aborted fetal tissue, and egg proteins just to name a few. You have the right and the authority to delay or refuse vaccines for your children. Do your research and make the right decision for your family. Refusing these would reduce countless toxins from entering your child's body, and delaying them for a few years would be another great way by allowing your child to build up an excellent immune system to be able to handle the toxins in vaccines. I'm pro-choice, as long as parents research and make an informed decision instead of getting bullied by doctors. Mothers know best.

3. Unplug!

This goes out to the parents whose four year olds have their own Ipads (these parents are real.) Momas, you have to unplug your children. The amount of radiation in cell phones, televisions, and tablets is sickening. There is more radiation coming out of those items than an MRI. Is that scary or what? These things are also filled with flame retardants. When approached about children having electronics, the typical response is, "It's a learning game" or "He only uses it as an educational tool." I call bull. Building a fort from nature, using wooden blocks to learn the alphabet, and learning from parents are all actual tools your children need. Being hypnotized by a screen all day does nothing but control their little minds and gives you an excuse to not parent. Oops...did I say that?

Seriously though, put the electronics away. This is an easy way to reduce the amount of toxins your child is exposed to and it makes for better relationships and better people all around.

Another thing to put away, or should I say throw away...your microwave! Ahhh! I know you're thinking, "But I can't possibly live without my microwave!" I'll let you in on something, you can! The Boober household has been microwave free for almost a year and we wouldn't have it any other way! Zaylen has never eaten anything or drank anything that has been zapped by electromagnetic waves. I will continue this.

Microwaves decrease the nutritional value of food, cause hormone disrupting chemicals from heated plastics to leak into your food/drink, and changes the chemical structure of the food. Who wants to eat that? I'll admit, it was hard at first giving up our microwave, but our health is more important to us than convenience. Toss the microwave or don't use it to heat up anything your child will eat or drink.

4. Clean your home

Rid your home of anything harmful. Toxins are hanging out in cleaning products, furniture, and even toys. Even though you wipe up or dilute cleaning products, the chemicals in them still linger in the air and on surfaces. Using natural products are great for eliminating bad chemicals from your home. You don't even have to worry that much if your child accidentally gets into them. I personally use Seventh Generation and homemade cleaning products and I feel 100% safe with them.

We can't do much about furniture unfortunately, but there are many toxins in the couches and mattresses we use. I love to use wood furniture as much as possible to reduce toxins and I also don't use those nasty wood treatments. Anything made from plastic has Phthalates and Bisphenol-A in it...not good. When buying plastic toys and dishes and things, buy products that are recycled and have "BPA and Phthalate Free" written on it. This will ensure lower toxin exposure as well.

Actually keeping a clean home can remove thousands of toxins daily. Pet dander, dust mites, smoke, and mildew all contain bad toxins we don't want in our children's systems. A daily cleaning routine will reduce these drastically!

5. Don't cause stress

People underestimate the damage that stress can do to the body. Stress is such an incredible weapon against us. Stress, anxiety, and depression are all serious toxins that have an effect on your child's health. These things can change genes...literally redirect genetic code. The chemicals the body produces when stressed can alter genes that determine how you store fat, how strong your immune system works, and other things. Stress can cause food sensitivities, high blood pressure, it can shut down your immune system, and even cause brain damage. Stress is so powerful!

Reduce the amount of stress in your child's life by taking away stressors. Common sense right? If you are causing stress in your child's life (too many chores, fighting, not loving enough), simply change the behaviors. I can't really say 'simply' because I know those things are simple, but work hard at it and improve the health of yourself and your child. Other stressors in young lives can include school, peer pressure, pressure to look a certain way, siblings, and even being consumed in the world/too busy. These are things that can be addressed and fixed. Depression and anxiety are running freely among our children and this is an epidemic that has to be stopped. Instead of medicating them, look into natural remedies. These diseases come from plenty of outside factors and can also be genetic. Find the source in your child's life and fix the problem.

Please don't underestimate stress in your little ones life. The amount of peer pressure, broken families, common core, and modern day societal "norms" are balls of stress waiting to hit our children. This is serious and we as parents should do everything in our power to ease the minds and the strengthen the health of our children.



Well, these are just some every day ways I try to eliminate toxins from Zaylen's life. I hope you were able to take something away from this, I always want to educate and encourage my readers!

xoxo
Cursty

I start the day being woken up by skin of silk pressing into my chest, light curls tossed under my chin. I hear small whimpers telling me, "I'm up, I'm ready for another day." Smiles and tickles in the covers continue for a few precious moments. Off to the breakfast table we go. Baby mum mums, pancakes, or fruit, what will your choice be today little one? You just want food, I understand. Awesome choice little one. I watch him feed his self. Tiny hands scoop up his meal, he doesn't need my help any more. The spoon is of rare interest to him. A small glass of juice and a quick wipe down follow a good breakfast. To his room we go for play time. Shall we read books, build towers with blocks, or stack colorful rings on a post? There are countless options for you little one. You choose. Great choice.

Moments spent bouncing on the rocking horse and talking on his "phone" quickly disappear. Is it time for lunch already? Back to the highchair we go. What will it be today little one? Sweet potatoes, acorn squash, and beans sound yummy. I watch again as he uses those sweet fingers and tiny palm to scoop up what his tummy desires. This time, water and a wipe down accompany his meal. Are you tired little one? A nap sounds perfect. He takes his pappy in his small oval mouth, I drape a blanket his Memaw made over his 22 pound body. We curl up on Macs recliner like two puzzle pieces designed for each other. I sing to him, "duermete mi nino." Go to sleep my child. In his safe haven, he finally closes his eyes. Ahh, those eyes. Those bright blue eyes. They only see good in the world. They do not know pain or regret. Keep those eyes forever little one.

As he wakes up, I welcome him to the world again. We walk around and discover old and new sights. I show him pictures of his Mac and Memaw. He loves them. He visits Papa Hassie and Granny Hester. He cherishes them. He knows his aunts and uncles. His cousins are his best friends. We talk about life. I share with him what the world has to offer. I let him know I will always be there, thick and thin. He knows he is a child of God. I tell him he is loved, beyond measure. We sing, talk, play. He questions why the books are on the shelf, he pulls them down one by one and has a gentle taste of each. Sometimes he even decides that covers don't belong on books. We walk to the mailbox, he's not fond of the mailman, but he always smiles for the mail lady. Too soon my little one, too soon. We take our time walking back inside. The trees and birds ask for admiration.

Snack time comes, a baby mum mum and pureed vegetables it is. Now it's time for him to explore. While I start housework, little one plays with his four legged sisters. They chase each other and steal toys together. He finds a new drawer in the kitchen. He desires to feed from the dog dishes. The bookshelves catch his eye. He must find a way to open that door. The bathroom scale needs weight on it. The door stops long to make noise. The house is filled with laughter and amazement. Don't exhaust yourself little one, let's cuddle again and rest, quiet time is here. More moments on Macs recliner brighten my day. Little one loves hearing stories about his Mac.

Daddy is home. He opens his eyes and reaches for Daddy. They spend time together, learning from each other. Daddy plays with him in his room. Daddy throws him in the air, always embracing every ounce of him on his way back down. Dinner is prepared. What do you wish for this evening little one? Tofu, roasted carrots, and avocado are excellent choices. He quickly becomes a mess. That tiny bib and baby blue onesie come off. In the tub you go little one. Will you choose the orange dolphin or the purple octopus? Oh, both...plus a few rubber duckies. Great choice little one. I wash him down and he continues to play. Water brings him peace. I swaddle him in a soft, warm towel. We look in the mirror, I talk about how handsome he is. He will have an amazing self image one day. As I rub lotion on his flawless skin, we sing many songs. Praise songs, head-acher eye-winker, B-I-N-G-O. We also sing about the little piggies who go places. I show him his tiny toes, his patellas, and those bright blue eyes. Coconut oil goes on every cut and scrape. A fresh diaper and pajamas come next. We have a few minutes of more play time before a good night bottle and rocking. With a few rubs of his eyes and a yawn or two, I cradle him in my arms. We go back to Macs chair with his blanket and a warm bottle of almond milk. He drinks and is satisfied. Sometimes he chooses more play time, other times he closes those adorable eyes. Tonight he will fall asleep. He will curl up in the safety of his Moma and blanket, he will fall fast asleep. After rocking for sometimes hours, I finally lay him down to bed. His pajamas come off and he gets a new diaper. He stays sleeping. I finish my work for the day and spend time with his Daddy, then I follow into the bedroom. This is our sacred place. My clothes come off, I sneak into bed beside him. He follows my warmth and scent, he finds me. Tiny fingers clasp my arms and a small body digs into my chest. I am here little one. Every part of me is for you, take what you need. I am yours, you are mine.

I reflect on him. I think about the growth he made today. The choices he faced. The decisions and discoveries he made. I celebrate the milestones he accomplished. I thank God for giving me such a good and perfect gift. I thank God for his health. I ask God for his safety, health, and protection. My mind goes back to little one again. My life has completely changed. My movement has become tied with his. My days have become centered around him. My dreams are now his. The beauty in motherhood is that I get to spend the rest of my life as days like this; seeing how he responds, supporting his decisions and curiosity, protecting his vulnerability, praising his accomplishments, and devoting every ounce of time and love to him. He is pure, he is a miracle, he is intimately mine to devour. We are bound to each other. He is I, I am him. He is my son, and therefore half of me.

I drift off thinking of him. Thinking of how I can be a better mother tomorrow. Thinking of what I did to ever deserve something so precious and true. I am woken up by hungry whimpers and sometimes bad dreams. He needs milk, he needs his skin against mine. I serve him until his needs are met. We both drift back to sleep embracing each other.

 I start the day being woken up by skin of silk pressing into my chest, light curls tossed under my chin...

I hope you all had a beautiful weekend, Carolina was in the 60's this weekend and it felt like September again. I just want cold weather. I don't want tons of sleet and all that mess, but is 40 degrees too much to ask for?! Our closets are switched out to winter clothing, it is December, and I'm just tired of warm weather. I have had so much pressure in my head due to the weather constantly being up and down lately, I'm not loving it. Anyways, even though we had warmer weather than I would have liked, my family and I had a wonderful weekend together!!

I consider myself a thrift queen. Well, actually the thrift queen. There are countless reasons why I'm thrifty; our budget doesn't have much wiggle room, I love supporting local places, and who doesn't love saving money?? I get such a high off of saving money. I really do. There are times when we have to get new things and we go to big stores to find them, but majority of the time I can find exactly what I need at thrift shops and consignment stores. All year long I shop the thrift way so I wasn't about to change and spend tons of money for Christmas, it just doesn't make sense. I finished Zaylens shopping much earlier than I had planned and we found almost everything on "his" Christmas list, with the exception of the toy box...that will wait for his first birthday. I was out in the carport the other day cleaning and sorting some of his toys and I wondered exactly how much I had saved on everything so I got out a pen and paper and started writing. I listed what I had gotten and how much I paid for it, then later on the internet I looked up the retail value of these toys. And you can probably guess it based on the title of this post...I saved almost $600. Yes, $600! How insane is that?? Now, I would have never bought those things if I had to pay full price, but Zaylen is able to have a very fruitful first Christmas for such a small price. Let's be honest, this Christmas is definitely more for me than for him. It's my first Christmas with a child to spoil...so I kind of have to do it big. I know he will never remember it, but we will have some amazing memories and pictures to go with them!! Well here we go...how I saved $600!

As I mentioned in my last post, one tradition we are starting this year with Zaylen is the 25 books of Christmas. This is a collection of Christmas themed books that are read one at a time, each night from December 1st through Christmas Day. I have seen some moms do this before and I think it is such a sweet thing! Zaylen enjoys books, more so when Daddy reads, and we thought this would be a neat way to incorporate more books into his daily life and it would give us some more family time. It's a win-win! 

Once again it's been a few days since I've posted anything. Last week was such a hectic week that I didn't even check my email, so now I have to spend a good 20-30 minutes sending junk to my trashcan. That busy. But unfortunately life doesn't stop when we need it to. I woke up this morning and it happened to be December, like I hope it was for most of you. Where did this entire year go?? Let alone November?! So December is here and there is much to do, let's jump into it!

I am all about traditions. Well except a few. Like Thanksgiving, we celebrate one genocide with another and spend money we don't have on things people don't need right after we talk about how thankful we are for everything. It doesn't make sense to me. My heart was truly saddened this past Thursday thinking of the millions of Native Americans who lost their lives on their own land all because of white mans greed. Plus the millions of turkeys who are caged their entire lives only to have their throats slit while hanging upside down and living a few minutes to soak in their pain. And to top it off, the ridiculous amount of money corporate America gets from people who are blind and don't understand the real vote is with their dollar. It's just a tradition I don't agree with. On a lighter note, other traditions such as throwing rice at the bride and groom and asking the teacher for permission to use the restroom are pointless in my opinion and they just need to go. But when it comes to family traditions and making memories for my son, I'm all about them! There are certain things Zak and I have done every year we have been together and we want to incorporate those in Zaylens upbringing as well as other things. As far as Christmas goes, we always pick out our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. That's something I've done my entire life and I wouldn't have it any other way! We also decorate as a family, order take out, and bake cookies. This is seriously one of my favorite days of the year, do you know how relaxing this is? We watch the same movies every year, wear the same Christmas themed socks, and enjoy hot chocolate and desserts way too much. Zak and I also get each other the same thing for presents each year. He gets me some type of cooking pan/pot, this year I'm hoping for a wok! And each year I get him a hoodie/sweatshirt. It's just a funny little thing we love to keep going. We visit the same houses for Christmas gatherings, have the same schedule for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, drive around all month to look at lights, and since Zacharys birthday is right before Christmas we always have a dinner with friends that weekend. December looks the same for us. Excuse me, Zaylen has something to say...

k/9n 99bhy, jn ≥       . jh n     c n gbv

He has been dying to get his hands on this keyboard and after standing against my back fussing for a few minutes, I finally caved in. So back to my point about Christmas traditions...There are a few things we want to start with Zaylen this year. I love the idea of the 25 books of Christmas! It's a collection of 25 books that you read to your child starting on December 1 and finishing on Christmas Day. I'll write a post on that when I'm finished with this one. I want Zaylen to think of others during this time of year, well I want him to do that all year round, but especially at this time when he is receiving gifts and other children have nothing. What better way to give a child a Christmas than Operation Christmas Child! This is a great organization ran by Samaritan's Purse, you collect items for a boy or girl, all different ages, and you place them in a shoebox and wrap it. The boxes are then sent to other countries and given to children who don't receive presents on Christmas. This program is  even more special because they share the love of Christ to these children. These are kids who don't have access to Bibles or who have never heard about Jesus and it's just such a neat way to share His love! Zaylen can't help too much this year, but we are making boxes for a little boy and little girl. Other traditions we want to start this year with Zaylen include; visiting Santa (duhh), setting out cookies and almond milk for Santa on Christmas Eve, making a special ornament for the tree, and hopefully sending out Christmas cards if I can ever get around to it. What traditions do you have? Will you start any new ones this year?

This is a busy month for us, as well as most people, but through all the gifts and baking and talk of Santa, I hope we all are reminded daily of the real reason for the season. We were sent a precious baby who lived a perfect life before He selflessly laid his life down so that we could be saved. That's the best gift we will ever receive! I hope you all have an amazing month ahead!!


xoxo
Cursty

I cannot believe Christmas is almost here, last Christmas just happened yesterday didn't it? Time sure does fly by. Zak and I are stoked that it is Zaylens first Christmas! This is my favorite time of the year and having a sweet baby to spoil makes it 100 times better! I know he will only be 9 months old in December and he will never remember the presents he receives this year, but the first Christmas is a huge deal and you better believe this Moma is going all out!! Okay, maybe not all out, but my son will be getting more than a box to play with. Zachary and I aren't huge fans of capitalism. We don't support a lot of big brands, and when we do it's pretty far and between. That said, the majority of Zaylens presents are coming from thrift shops and small family companies. Some things I do prefer him having new, but for the most part we are thrilled to treasure someone elses trash. With everyone in the blog world writing posts about what their little ones will receive this year, I thought I'd tag along and share our list for Zay with ya'll!

Dear 18 year old Cursty,

Slow down! You will look back on these days and have such mixed emotions. You will be disappointed, angry, confused, and you will regret a lot. In the end you will learn from these mistakes, but it isn't the type of learning you need. Focus more on school and family than parties and boys. Be kind instead of bratty. Be grateful instead of entitled. Slow down. Slow down, I cannot say this enough!

Family should come before anything. There are people you will deeply miss and wish you had one more day with. You can't get those days back. Take your sisters side over a friends, even if she is in the wrong. Always have your sisters backs. Be kind to your mother. You have no clue about the battles she faces, you will look back one day knowing the circumstances and be mad at yourself for not showing her grace. Don't be a negative influence in your brothers life. He looks up to you more than anything and showing him disrespect towards your parents isn't cool. Showing him things like skipping school for a tattoo and driving while texting aren't cool things, you will wish you could take these things back.

Recognize who your true friends are and ditch the losers. Those punks offering you pot aren't your real friends. The girls who are snuggling in bed with you reading the Bible are your true friends. These are the girls you remain close with six years later. Stop trying to please other people in order to fit in, if they don't want to be friends with you for who you are, they aren't worth your time. Treat your real friends like gold. Cherish every moment with them and always have their back.

That boy you're with doesn't love you for your spirit, he loves you for what you give him. Please stop now before you go down a huge cycle of regret and hurt. You are going to have the most amazing man as your husband one day and you will want to give him all of you, not just small broken pieces he has to pick up and put back together. I don't care if sex is cool. Stop now, please, I'm begging you. You don't need "experience." You need forgiveness and completeness. Please continue marching band, it's your senior year, your time to shine! Stopping something you are passionate about because of a boy is one of the dumbest things you will ever do. P.s. you're going to break up with him before the end of the year because he lied and ran off with another girl. Save your time and your heartache.

Just because it's legal doesn't means it's right for you. Please put down the cigarettes. You will develop asthma later, save your health and money now. Smoking isn't cool. You smell, you're sick, and you're stupid. Stop the underage drinking. It will do nothing but give you problems. That heart tattoo on your hip? Really?! Stay at school that day, you may not remember what you learned, but it would be a nicer memory than being in a smokey cheap tattoo shop. Throw away those nasty movies and CDs. Protect your eyes and ears. You don't need to listen to rappers talk about sex and drugs, you're 18! You don't need to watch dirty scenes and hear bad language. Protect your heart.

Stop growing up faster than you need to. Yes, certain circumstances have caused you to age a little faster, but don't push it anymore than need be. In no time you're going to be an adult with a husband, a son, two furry babies, a house, bills, responsibilities. Going to the grocery store alone will soon be a fun and exciting vacation for you. Soak in the days of not having cares. One day you will have cares for the rest of your life.

Most importantly, get right with God. What happened to that beautiful spirit? What happened to the girl who was radical? You let "stuff" get in the way. You allowed boys, partying, rebellion, and sin to step in and take control of your life. Man, you're going to really regret that. It's going to be hard taking that stuff back. You are going to spend years trying to forgive yourself and find your way back. Doing this simple thing now will save you so much heartbreak, anger, and resentment. Black and white turned to grey for you. Sex became okay. Remember a few years ago when you made a promise to yourself, your parents, and God that you would save yourself? That promise is broken...you're going to have to explain that to your husband one day and beg for his mercy and grace for throwing away his perfect gift. This won't be a short season for you. Doing these things now and telling yourself it's all okay will only lead to deeper things in college. That's a hard spot you will have to dig your way out of. Please do me a favor and save yourself the pain. Stop your act now and get right with God.

Cursty, I don't want to beat you down. I know you are doing good things right now, you make great grades, you were accepted to an outstanding university, and you've got a good head on your shoulders. But please stop with the bad things, they only lead to worse things. You will spend a lot of time regretting and wishing you could take back things. The worst thing about the past is that you can't erase anything. You can't take back any harmful words. You can't get back a day missed with a loved one. You can't change anything, but what you can do is grow from them. You will grow. You will have a deep relationship with God again. You will learn how to forgive yourself. You will learn all about grace and how deep grace will go to cover your worst mistakes. In the end you're going to be okay. I promise you will be okay. In the meantime though, go love on your moma. Kiss her and hug her. Snuggle with her and tell her how much you love her. Take your sisters with you when you go see your friends. Get your brother out of school another day and spend all day at Chuck E. Cheeses. Visit your grandparents more. Keep up the relationship with your stepdad, you will miss him and come crawling back to him one day. Stay away from boys, your husband is truly amazing and you will want all your firsts to be with him. Appreciate those good girlfriends, being hours apart won't be fun later. Just be yourself, you're the coolest person I know!


I'll see you in a few years!
24 year old Cursty



If you wrote a letter to your 18 year old self, what would you say?

Creamy Lemon Pasta 

This is a beautiful recipe! I came across it on Pintrest, but altered it to fit us. This dish calls for messing up one pot and cooks in 20 minutes, my type of meal!!


Ingredients-
1 pound of penne pasta (I used a thicker penne, I forgot the name though)
2 cups of water
2 cups of vegetable broth
1/2 onion, sliced
about 10 basil leaves
3 garlic cloves, minced
6 ounces of cream cheese
juice from one lemon
zest from one lemon
1 cup mozzarella cheese
salt and pepper
parsley

Directions-
In a stockpot, combine the water, pasta, broth, onions, basil leaves, and salt/pepper. Cover and bring to a boil.
Remove cover and cook another 8-10 minutes
Turn heat off, add cream cheese, lemon juice and zest, and mozzarella cheese. Stir until creamy.

The original recipe calls for fresh parsley to garnish the top, but I added dry parsley in with the cheeses and lemon, and garnished with fresh basil

Difficulty level - None!

Cost-
Pasta- $1.50
Vegetable boullion cube- $.20
Onion- $.60
Basil leaves- $.10 (If you have your own plant)
Garlic- $.10
Cream cheese- $1.00
Lemon- $.50
Mozzarella- $1.00

Total- $5.00


Zak didn't take to the lemon taste so I might try adding other spices and maybe some spinach or kale next time. Either way, this is definitely a recipe that will become a staple in our home! Add these items to your next grocery list and try it out for your family!

xoxo
Cursty

I should have titled this post, "I don't wash my beautiful, curly, thick, clean hair."



Over the past year and a half I have given up countless things; Macdonalds (besides their tea on occasion), makeup, cleaning products...you name it and it has been altered in my life somehow. My husband and I woke up one day and changed the way we did everything. "Woke up" meaning our eyes were opened to how disgusting we were living. Our world has done a complete 180 over the course of the last 18 months and I could not be more happier and healthier. Some changes have been kind of normal and others have been a little questionable. This is one of those changes that has been questionable, so let me make a statement to close minded folk before they join on in the firing squad...This is completely normal to me. It is safe, my life is safe, my family is not in danger, and as far as I know this isn't hurting anyone but greedy big corporation CEOs who benefit from capitalism and sickness. And I'm sure even they will be okay in the end without my $50 a year. Eh, that was a little sarcastic if you caught that, but you wouldn't believe the hell I have gotten for not supporting Monsanto, becoming a vegetarian, and using coconut oil for everything. So from now on I will make a disclaimer aimed towards the people who choose to be comfortable and keep their eyes shut. For my family and friends who do support me in my journey to live a safer and better life, thank you!!

So fast forward from not drinking Coke and throwing out the Pine-Sol to where I am today...hair that hasn't been washed in one month and two days. Healthy hair. 

I switched to a better shampoo and conditioner last year, stopped my salon visits, and gave up hair products, but I still didn't feel I was doing my scalp enough justice. She deserves better!! After all, she has given me beautiful, long, thick hair for the past 24 years, I owe her!! I knew I could take this natural thing to a whole new level by helping my hair. I contemplated using baking soda and apple cider vinegar, but the more I thought about it, the more I thought against it. Why does my hair need stuff in it? Why do I need to lather anything into my scalp? What did women use 500 years ago?

Countless questions went through my mind before I decided to do what's best for me. No shampoo, no conditioner, no products of any kind, nothing. Absolutely nothing. For the past month my wash routine has been to just use water. Good plain ole H2O. While in the shower I scrub my scalp just like I would with shampoo, except I only use water. I haven't used anything for my hair. No products, no straightener or curling iron, no hair dryer, nothing but water and a brush. And I've only used the brush a handful of times...my husband goes crazy over my natural kinky messy hair :) My hair feels better than ever now and I want to share some benefits of not washing with ya'll!

1. NO CHEMICALS!

Ugh! Who wants parabens, sulfates, and formaldehyde in their hair?? Who wants that on the part of our body that protects our brain?? Not me!! Hands down, the best part about washing with water is not having to worry about chemicals. No matter what brand of shampoo/conditioner you use, there will always be some type of unwanted chemical in there. Using water is safer, unless you factor in the unsafe amount of flouride our water systems pump into the water we consume, but compared to a product, water is a lot safer for our hair and scalp.

2. It's cheaper

This is a no brainer. If you aren't using shampoo/conditioner, you aren't wasting more money! I know they aren't that expensive, but saving every dollar you can counts!

3. I'm healthier

My hair feels the best it has ever felt! It has grown and thickened, my color has darkened back to my natural color, my natural curls have returned, and it doesn't get as dirty as it used to. My hair doesn't have build up on it that I have to strip off, it feels stronger, and overall I feel better.

These are very simple benefits, but they have made all the difference!! Here are some pictures of this small journey so far, I can't wait to see what six months and a year later will look like!