All right, guys. My blogging game this spring has just been...well, sad. One of these days, I'll get back in the groove, but for now, I'm jumping in to share ten things I'm loving on this hot summer Tuesday!
(Note - no adoption news to share...still just waiting for the call. Yep, STILL. We'll take all the prayers for peace and patience you want to send our way. More than four months since our dossier was sent to China, and y'all, it's just hard. Like REALLY hard.)
Okay, enough with that...here we go!
ONE
Shameless plug, I know...but it's not really a plug for me, so I had to share. I am SO excited about Noonday's Impact Uganda Giveback this month that I thought it deserved a little shout out here! All of our Uganda products are on SALE and 10% of those sales will go back to community empowerment programs. Click my "Noonday Collection" tab at the top to check it out!
TWO
Okay, have y'all heard of Jamie Ivey? I had the joy of meeting her and hearing her speak at an April MOPS meeting, but I've seriously become addicted to her podcasts. Every week, she interviews a friend, and you basically just listen in to hear what God is doing in the life of that woman. Each podcast is about an hour (some are half hours), and they are truly just food for the soul. You will be challenged, encouraged, and inspired by the conversations you hear. I listen on walks or runs, when I'm cooking dinner, or when I'm doing something super mundane and boring like folding laundry. I cannot recommend them enough!
THREE
I heard about YouWood on the Happy Hour podcast last week when Jamie interviewed Lauren Chandler, and I just fell in love with the company! These watches are a steal at just $50 shipped, and all proceeds from sales go to organizations that help feed the hungry, free people from slavery (yes, it still exists...), and love on orphans. This company also sells shirts, necklaces, and wallets for very low prices, so it's really a win-win! I bought
THIS WATCH, but you can check out the full line and read about their incredible mission on the website
HERE!
FOUR
Okay, so I'm about two years late to the party on this one, but I got my first ever
Giving Key this weekend! I've had my eye on these for quite some time, but I've never actually ordered one. Since they happened to be sitting right by the checkout at a quite little boutique I was shopping in on Saturday, I couldn't resist and grabbed one! So, here's the idea behind these keys - basically, you wear the key with the word you need for the season you need it, and then you pay it forward to someone else who needs that inspiration. (Oh, and because you know I love a company that gives back, these keys are all made by men and women seeking to move themselves out of homelessness.)
I picked up one that said FEARLESS because, truthfully, I've got a lot of fear in my life right now that I'm trying to manage. When your life and future is basically in limbo, there's such a fear of the unknown and fear of the future that comes with that. I needed this key to remind myself that God has walked ahead of me, and He tells me that I can be bold, be brave, and be fearless as we wait in anticipation of what He has in store for us. His plan is good and we can trust it...without FEAR!
FIVE
Okay, so this one is WAYYYY less deep...but did you know that a pool exists that DOES NOT require inflating?!! I'll admit, it looks crazy cheap...and we usually have to put two chairs in it to keep the sides up while we fill it...but, I repeat...it DOES NOT require inflating! WHAT?!! We grabbed this
snap set pool at Walmart last week, and we seriously give it two thumbs up. Just fill and GO! So easy and a huge crowd-pleaser around here!
SIX
I posted this pic on my Instagram feed on Sunday asking for adoption book suggestions, and y'all blew me away! So many amazing suggestions from friends near and far. If you haven't found me yet on Instagram and have suggestions for me, hop on over to @allisonezell and let me know your favorite adoption reads! I'm ALWAYS looking for book suggestions!
SEVEN
Our "Seven After Seven" golfing trips are BACK! WOOHOO! We live in a golf course neighborhood, and the course offers a $7 greens fee after 7pm during the summer, so the four of us get to head out for just $14 during the evenings and have a blast! The boys golf, the girls drive...it's a great summer evening tradition we have around here!
Family selfie fail. ;) Sorry, Blake!
EIGHT
Okay, I just started the IF: Rooted study, and I'm seriously in love. It started last week, so it's not too late to join! Download the IF app to your phone, sign up for the emails, or head on over to their
website. This study is basically getting back to the basics of studying our Bible by taking a very in-depth and practical look at Philippians.
NINE
This one really requires very little commentary...but we picked up these $5.99 kids' aviators at H&M the other day, and I just die a little inside every time this little lady killer wears them. ;)
TEN
All right, last but not least, I leave you with vacation pictures. We got up to my parents' lake house this past weekend for the first time this summer, and it is seriously my happy place. No agenda, no routine, no stress, no make-up, no gym, very few showers...I just breathe there. We had a blast and cannot wait to go back in July!
Happy Summer, friends!
