Liebster Award!

Hello Beautiful Bloggers! I am SO pumped to write a special post today! 

I was nominated by new bloggy friend, the inspiring and gorgeous Rachel from Oh Simple Thoughts. I feel so honored! The Liebster Award is an award given to a blogger by other bloggers in order to get to know you better and allow you to connect with other bloggers outside of your circle! I am SO excited to be nominated by Rachel and even more pumped to nominate some awesome ladies for this award! As a nominee I am asked a series of questions about who I am and what my blog is all about. And then I ask a series of questions to the ladies I nominate! Let's get started! 

Questions from Rachel: 

1. What led you to the blogsphere? I absolutely LOVE connecting with other women. I love hearing and discussing troubles and triumphs. Last year I was on Pinterest a LOT when I was planning my wedding. Through different items I was pinning I was able to find multiple blogs by some amazing ladies! I started following them and never stopped. Somewhere along the way I decided to start my own blog. At first I was not very committed to it, I was pretty busy with wedding plans, but I continued to write every once in a while. This last November I really decided to pursue blogging more frequently. I loved the posts I was reading and finding different link-ups! I have been really encouraged by the friendships I have made and the women I have "met" through blogging! 

2. What are the dreams for your blog? I would love to see my blog become a place of encouragement and joy for other women. My dream is that I would be able to connect with women all over the world and share the gospel with them. I love seeing blogs that are written by "real people." What I mean by that is, women who write about the exciting seasons in their life as well as the hard seasons. It is so refreshing to hear from people who are willing to be vulnerable and honest about their lives. I would like to continue to post more often and frequently about the things God is teaching me about Him, my marriage and life's joys and pains. That is why my blog is named Bliss and Blunders of a Newlywed. I am not perfect and I don't want anyone to think that I am. I just want them to know that I have a Savior who IS perfect. 

3. What is one thing you are learning right now? Lately I have been learning about myself and my insecurities. I have been struggling a lot with my insecurities as a wife. I have so many goals for myself for what I want to become and things I want to accomplish. I want to make my house feel like a home for my husband. I want to be there for him at all times and encourage him daily. I want to make delicious meals for him and provide good nourishment. I want to look a certain way so that he finds me desirable... What I am learning is that these goals are not bad... but they are overwhelming to me right now. I need to give myself a break a little bit and try to only tackle a few things at a time and not break down every time I mess up at them. God has been teaching me that only with His help can I accomplish these goals. 

4. What is one thing you would like to accomplish this year? I would love to get into a workout routine. I have been struggling so much lately to have the desire to work out and find a time that works well with my schedule. I would love to get into a routine that works best for me and use my time well! 

5. What is your favorite accessory? Definitely scarves! I have SOOOOOOO many and I probably wear one almost every day. I love that you can dress up or dress down an outfit with a scarf. Can't wait to wear my summer scarves soon! 

6. What are your favorite posts to write? My favorite posts are definitely writing about my walk with Jesus and my marriage. Those two things are the most important things in my life and I love encouraging other women in their faith and in their marriages. I would love to continue to write more about what God has been teaching me and more about things I have learned in my first year of marriage! 

7. What inspires you? Good conversation inspires me! I absolutely love having a good, quality conversation with others. Whether it is with my husband, a girlfriend or a complete stranger, I love deep conversations. It inspires me when others feel comfortable sharing something that is on their heart. Plus, you know all great conversations happen because of the Lord. That is very inspiring! 

8. What is your all time favorite book? Definitely my favorite book is Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. I never cried so hard and felt so moved than when I was reading this book. If you haven't read it, DO IT! 

9. Coffee or Tea? Absolutely coffee. That is the easiest question you could ask me. I think a lot of people can relate to this but there is just something wonderful about starting your morning with a delicious cup of coffee. I love the smell and just adore the taste! Coffee makes me feel cozy and comforted. 

10. What is your favorite hobby? Probably baking or crafting. I love doing both things. I love making delicious desserts for my friends and hubby and I also love knitting and doing crafts to create beautiful things! In college my roommates and I would have craft parties. We did crafts, drank wine and ate lots of yummy food. Such an amazing way to spend time with ladies! 

11. What is one thing you have learned from blogging? I have learned that I can make friends and be encouraged by people all over the world. I have learned so much from my blogging friends about cooking, marriage, wedding planning, creating, and Jesus. I feel so blessed to be able to share my thoughts as well as hear about other peoples thoughts and reflections. I am very thankful for all of you blogging friends! 

Here are my 6 nominees! 

1. Leslie @ Our Joy His Glory

2. Lisa @ Lisa Loves John

3. Ashley @ Married to the Game

4. Lauren @ Peach State of Mind 

5. Chelsea @ The Williams 

6. Elizabeth @ Always a Jersey Girl at Heart

Here are my questions for you lovely ladies! (Just answer them, link back to me and tag 6 blogs that have 200 or fewer followers with questions for them!)

1. What inspired you to start blogging?

2. Describe your "perfect day." 

3. What are some of the goals you have for your blog?

4. What is your biggest fear?

5. What is one of your favorite memories? 

6. What is one thing you have always wanted to do? 

7. What is your favorite thing to do during your free time?

8. If you could travel anywhere in the world where would it be? 

9. What is one thing you would like to accomplish in your life? 

10. What is your favorite Bible verse or inspirational quote? Why?

11. What is your favorite thing about blogging? 

Can't wait to hear your answers to these questions and get to know you all better! 

Love,

             Lindsey

Five on Friday!

-ONE- My mom came on Saturday and we had a great day shopping and spending time together. While we were shopping, we got some frames for my family wedding photos. It was a lot of fun putting this wall together! I loved how it turned out!

  


-TWO- My mom also gave me such an incredible gift! She made a scrapbook of our wedding photos and invitations! I was SO surprised and so thankful. There is no way I would ever have enough time to put that much time into a book like that. It will be so awesome to have and have our children look at someday.

  

-THREE- Our date night is always on Thursdays and last night we did something a little more special than usual. We went on a little road trip a couple of hours away and watched a state semi-final basketball game. We walked across this gorgeous bridge to get to the game and I snapped this pretty little picture. Wish it wasn't so dark though. Love my handsome hubs!

-FOUR- I started crocheting this week and this is my first project. I have been knitting for years but this is my first time crocheting. It was so fun to make! I am still not fantastic at it but I am getting better. What a fun hobby! 

-FIVE- I have been having struggling with some health problems over the past couple of months and I have been reflecting on this verse this week. He is in control. 

Love,

             Lindsey

Honest wife moment...

                          

There are days when I feel like I am rocking at my duty as a wife... and then there are days when I feel like I'm not... Let me explain.

Before we were married I had this idea in my head that as soon as I said “I do” I would turn into June Clever and make elaborate and healthy meals for my husband, as well as keeping the house spotless, AND look perfect and put together all at the same time...

Well, that was a silly idea wasn't it? It’s fine if you are chuckling right now as you read this. I’m not sure what I was thinking by having this idea. It isn't real life. I set myself up for failure even before I started. Now don’t get me wrong, I do believe that I have the potential to tackle one or more of these “aspirations” at a time on any given day. BUT for me to believe that I was going to be PERFECT at all of these things at once is just plain foolishness.

When we first got married (only 9 months ago) I was working a full time job, as well as a part time job on nights and weekends. My husband was working over 40 hours a week as well as co-coaching a freshman baseball team. We didn't have much time at home together and I definitely didn't have much time to plan meals or keep our house spotless… Well, I probably did have the time but honestly, I was just exhausted.

Thankfully, now I only have ONE job and my husband has a different job with much better hours. Praise Jesus for that! Now that we have MUCH more time together and I have more time at home to clean and cook you would think I would be rocking this wife thing! I have to admit… I’m not. At least the cooking and cleaning part I’m not. I have tried coming up with cleaning schedules and even put up a cute menu board… it still hasn’t worked!

I know that my identity should not be found in my role as a wife but I have a very strong desire to make my house a home for my husband. I want him to feel comfortable and at ease when we are at home and not stressed about deciding what we are going to eat tonight and walking around the piles of laundry and clutter...

So there you go. Honest wife moment. 

In all seriousness though, I would love some practical tips or suggestions for how to balance working a full time job and keeping a clean and happy home. Also, I am in desperate need for some quick and yummy meals to plan for our weeks ahead? 

If you have any suggestions I would LOVE to hear them! I am also interested in hosting a guest post on my blog so if you are interested please let me know! Thanks for reading all of this!

Have a beautiful day fellow bloggers! 

Love,

             Lindsey

A favorite recipe!

Today I am going to share with you a delicious recipe that is a favorite in our house! 

I first found this recipe on Pinterest but since then I have seen it all over the internet. It is A-MAZING! The website I often use for this recipe can be found here. 

Spicy Sausage Pasta

1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb smoked sausage
1.5 cups diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (10 oz) can Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chiles, Mild
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 oz penne pasta (I use whole wheat penne) 
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, each
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions

1. Add olive oil to an oven-safe skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Add sausage and onions and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

2. Add broth, tomatoes, cream, pasta, salt and pepper and stir. Bring to a boil, cover skillet, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes.

3. Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with scallions. Broil until cheese is melted, spotty brown, and bubbly.

Makes 4 servings. 

My husband has asked for this dish at least once a month since I first made it and we both love how great it tastes every single time! It also makes great leftovers! 

Enjoy!! 

Next week I will be posting our FAVORITE soup recipe, Chicken Tortilla. 

What is one of your favorite recipes? 

Love,

             Lindsey

Happy Hostess Link Party No. 1

Hey All! The sun is shining the birds are chirping and I am one happy girl!

Today I am joining Leslie from Our Joy... His Glory for her 

Happy Hostess Link Party No. 1

Today I am sharing about my bridal shower that I had last year! It was SO beautiful and my hostesses did an amazing job planning it! 

The theme of my wedding was Rustic and Vintage so the ladies wanted my shower to have a similar feel. My friend Dana planned the decor and my goodness she did a great job! 

These were what the centerpieces looked like for the shower. Completely beautiful. 

This was our guestbook table. 

The window was my gift from Dana. I love it! 

These were the cookies that we gave away at the end of the shower they were in the shape of rings! The heart says "Lindsey said yes and now wears a ring as shiny as the sun. Thank you for being our guest and making this brides day so fun!" 

Can't have a shower without games! 

Love,

             Lindsey

Five on Friday!

The hubs and I were suuuuuper sick this week so we are ready for a relaxing weekend with full health. 

-ONE- Looking ahead at the weather and it looks like it is FIINNNALLLLY starting to warm up a bit. We have had negative degree weather almost every day for the past two months and I am sick of it! Praise Jesus for 40 degree temps! I may just break out my flip flops! 

-TWO- We both were soooooo sick of being stuck in the house this week because of sickness so we went on a much needed date out to eat! It was delicious and we actually got out of sweatpants! Woot! 

-THREE- Ice cream... basically I just love it. BUT I am really going to try and kick my butt in gear and attempt to lose some weight before spring is here. So... I am going to have to stop eating a bowl of this deliciousness every night after supper....{sigh} 

-FOUR- I am joining Elise and Katelyn for their {I'm In The Word} series and it has been a GREAT couple of days so far. Can't wait to see what God teaches me in these 21 days! You can read my post about it here. 

                              

-FIVE- My mom is coming to visit tomorrow and we are going to spend the day together. I am really hoping to get some shopping in while she is here. Ahhh I love weekends. 

Have a fabulous weekend beautifuls! 

Love,

             Lindsey

Take Heart!

Today I am linking up with Cheers Y'all and Wifessionals for their In the Word series. 

 "It's a 21 day study. It's free, completely accessible online, and we begin today! Please join us!

 [Access the study here.]" -Elise from Cheers Y'all

The promise we are reading about today is from John 16:33 

I was laying awake this morning and looked over at the clock and it said, 4:15 a.m. Ugh! Why couldn't I fall back asleep? My mind was so full and wouldn't stop spinning. I couldn't stop thinking about some of the frustrating circumstances we had been having this week and how sometimes life is just HARD. I kept thinking to myself... "I hope God uses this time for good, because right now, it just sucks." 

"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

God does not promise that our lives will be perfect or even easy. What He does promise though, is that He is more powerful than any struggle or tribulation that we are dealing with. We will go through seasons of pain and suffering but the truth is we CAN endure because Jesus overcame the world and took our place and our pain by dying on the cross for us! He suffered for us and now we can have peace and rest in HIM. 

This was definitely a reminder I needed this morning! 

Watch these two videos if you need encouragement this morning. Make sure you watch the first one all the way through. It will be worth it I promise! 

Love you all! Praying that you will find PEACE in HIM today!!

Love,

             Lindsey