JULY RECAP: EMBRACING NEW BEGINNINGS & CULINARY ADVENTURES

Welcome back to our “Out of the Kitchen” series, where we share a glimpse into our lives beyond the recipes and behind the scenes! July was an exceptionally vibrant and transformative month, brimming with laughter, unique experiences, exciting kitchen experiments, and a monumental career shift. From competitive card games and treasure hunts to heartfelt goodbyes and exhilarating new starts, this recap covers all the highlights. Join us as we reflect on a month that truly set the stage for a thrilling new chapter!

July kicked off with a flurry of engaging and enjoyable dates, proving that even simple pleasures can create lasting memories. Our first adventure was a delightful fro-yo and card-playing date. Call it beginner’s luck or perhaps a hidden talent, but I seemed to be touched by a magic dust of victory! I emerged triumphant in every game we played, from the strategic battles of War to the fast-paced fun of Crazy Eights. Ryan was genuinely surprised by my unexpected card-playing prowess, making the win even sweeter. It was a fantastic way to start the month, filled with friendly competition and delicious treats.

Soon after, we embarked on an exciting geocaching expedition, transforming our ordinary walk into an adventurous treasure hunt. For those unfamiliar, geocaching is a real-world, outdoor recreational activity where participants use a GPS-enabled device or a mobile app to navigate to a specific set of coordinates and find a geocache (container) hidden at that location. It’s a truly captivating experience, turning everyday landscapes into a maze of hidden gems. We successfully located every cache we set out to find, reveling in the thrill of discovery and the satisfaction of uncovering hidden treasures right under our noses. It’s remarkable how many caches are cleverly concealed in plain sight, just waiting for curious explorers to find them!

The Fourth of July is always a highlight of the summer, and this year was no exception. The top photo captures the dazzling spectacle of the fireworks display, a tradition that never loses its magic. While I managed to escape the evening unscathed, poor Ryan was a feast for the local mosquito population! Earlier in the day, we cherished the opportunity to reconnect with friends we don’t get to see very often. It was a joy to introduce them to Salsa, our beloved feline companion, and share a casual pizza dinner. The Fourth always brings a special feeling of community and celebration, and I truly adore this holiday.

In the bottom photo, Ryan and I are deeply immersed in a fascinating scientific endeavor: a homemade rock candy experiment! This project has been a labor of love, spanning an incredible four to six weeks. Our mission? To uncover the ultimate method for crafting perfect homemade rock candy, experimenting with various Kool-Aid flavorings to achieve vibrant colors and delicious tastes. It’s a process that requires patience and precision, but the anticipation of seeing those beautiful crystals grow is incredibly rewarding. Rest assured, all our findings and the definitive guide to making your own rock candy will be shared on the blog soon! Get ready to unleash your inner confectioner.

If you haven’t yet seen the recipe for our incredible Galaxy Cake Roll, you are truly missing out! This mesmerizing dessert is an absolute must-try. We’ve crafted a recipe that ensures a no-fuss cake roll experience, making it accessible even for novice bakers. What truly sets this creation apart is its stunning aesthetic, topped generously with a constellation of sprinkles and a luxurious, dark chocolate ganache that adds a rich, indulgent finish. It’s a showstopper perfect for any celebration or simply to brighten your day.

The second photo captures a moment of playful celebration – a birthday mini-golf outing! There’s something inherently charming and fun about mini-golf, no matter your age. While each year brings new numbers, I’m finding that turning 27 is becoming increasingly easy to embrace. It’s a reminder to enjoy every moment, celebrate the small victories, and never lose the joy of playful competition with loved ones.

This heartwarming photo features our beloved “sweet thursday” small group. This community is incredibly special to us; they are the people with whom we share life’s journey, offering unwavering support, endless laughter, and genuine connection. We are profoundly grateful for their friendship and thankful to everyone who joined in celebrating with me this month. Being surrounded by such wonderful individuals truly enriches our lives and reminds us of the power of authentic relationships.

Our charming black cat, Salsa, never fails to bring a smile to our faces. In this first photo, he looks incredibly focused, almost as if he’s engrossed in some profoundly important work. I can almost hear him muttering, “Don’t bother me, mom, I’m busy writing a recipe for the ultimate cat chow!” His quirky personality and adorable antics are a constant source of joy in our home. We truly adore our black cat!

The second photo reveals a deeply personal project: I’m meticulously assembling a scrapbook for the wonderful family I’ve had the privilege of nannying for over the past four years. This book is a compilation of countless memories, chronicling four years worth of photographs, adventures, and milestones. As my time with them draws to a close, I’m experiencing a profound mix of emotions – #allthefeels, as they say. It’s a bittersweet process, filled with nostalgia and gratitude for the incredible bond we’ve formed.

Calling all s’mores enthusiasts! We’ve created a game-changing new recipe for Oven-Baked S’mores Cups. WOOHOO! This innovative twist means you can indulge in the comforting flavors of s’mores all year long, regardless of the weather. The best part? They require only five simple ingredients, making them incredibly easy to whip up. I proudly brought these delicious treats to my women’s bible study, and they received rave reviews! Prepare to satisfy your s’mores cravings anytime, anywhere.

The second photo captures me in a state of ultimate relaxation, thanks to some thoughtful birthday gifts. My mom gifted me this adorable sleep shirt that playfully proclaims, ‘get your sleep on.’ She then followed up with a pampering package including neck, back, and eye heat wraps, perfectly designed for soothing comfort. It was the ideal combination for unwinding and embracing some much-needed self-care.

Our Date Box for the month was an exciting Japan-themed adventure! For those unfamiliar, Date Box is a fantastic monthly subscription service that delivers a complete date night experience right to your doorstep. Each box is thoughtfully curated with instructions and all the necessary supplies for a unique themed activity. This month, we were tasked with making sushi! It was genuinely a lot of fun to create, even if our finished product, as you can see from the photo, wasn’t quite as aesthetically pleasing as a professional chef’s. The joy was in the process and the shared experience, creating a memorable and delicious (if a little rustic) evening together.

Exploring local gems with girlfriends is always a treat, and this month led us to a truly incredible discovery: a local bakery that crafts gluten-free macarons the size of my palm! These delightful confections are absolutely AMAZING – crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside, and bursting with flavor. It’s safe to say this spot will become a frequent haunt for us!

The second photo captures a heartwarming celebration. My sweet friend Lindsay hosted a beautiful “Worth the Wait” adoption party, a joyful gathering centered around the theme of slow and patient animals. For the occasion, I contributed some adorable turtle and snail cupcakes, which perfectly fit the theme. This celebration was a testament to love, patience, and the incredible journey of adoption. We’ll be sharing a detailed post soon, detailing all the delicious party food and delightful decorations from this special event.

OPENING UP: A BITTERSWEET FAREWELL AND AN EXCITING NEW CHAPTER

July marked a truly monumental period in my life – a month characterized by the emotional closing of one significant chapter and the exhilarating opening of another. This transition has been both challenging and incredibly rewarding, shaping my path in profound ways.

For the past four years, I’ve had the immense privilege of working as a nanny for a sweet family with two incredible children. They are, without a doubt, some of my absolute favorite kids, and together, we’ve forged countless cherished memories that I will carry with me always. Being a part of their lives, witnessing their growth, and sharing in their everyday joys and challenges has been an extraordinary blessing. I’ve watched them transform from toddlers to vibrant young individuals, and our bond has grown deeper with each passing year.

Our journey together has been a tapestry woven with countless firsts and unforgettable moments. We navigated the exciting (and sometimes messy!) world of potty training, celebrated every letter learned in the alphabet, and cheered through the intricate processes of learning to write and read. We embarked on the adventure of preschool, experienced both the good days filled with sunshine and the challenging ones that taught us patience and resilience. Our days were packed with fun-filled play dates with their best buddies, refreshing swims, imaginative play with cars and Barbies, creative sessions with play-dough, challenging puzzles, epic Power Ranger battles, spontaneous dancing and singing sessions, and countless trips to the library, the pet store, and various parks. And of course, there were endless games – my personal favorites being “Race to the Treasure” and “Sorry!” Each moment was a building block in our shared history.

Now, as both of the kiddos prepare to attend school full-time, it marks a natural and logical transition point for this chapter to conclude. While it’s a necessary step forward for everyone involved, it is undeniably an emotional one. Saying goodbye to a role that has been such an integral part of my daily life, and to children who have stolen a piece of my heart, is bittersweet. There are tears, of course, but also immense gratitude for the time we shared and the love that blossomed between us.

Yet, with the tender closing of that beloved chapter, I am simultaneously stepping into a brand new one, one that feels both surreal and incredibly exciting. My new job title is officially full-time food blogger! Even now, saying those words aloud feels like a delightful shock. I honestly never could have imagined this incredible development when I first tentatively dipped my toes into the blogging world back in 2012. It has been a slow, deliberate journey, but I truly believe that the Lord has been intricately carving this path for me over the past year, consistently placing on my heart the desire and the courage to pursue blogging full-time.

This monumental shift means I will now have significantly more time, energy, and dedication to pour into blogging, creating innovative recipes, developing engaging content, and connecting with this wonderful community. However, the core desire and ultimate purpose behind it all remain steadfast: to bring Him glory through my work. I’m not entirely sure what the next year will hold, or precisely how this blog will evolve and grow, but I am taking this courageous step forward in obedience and faith, trusting fully in His guiding plan. This new beginning is an invitation to explore my passions more deeply, to serve you, my readers, with even more dedication, and to embrace the exciting, unpredictable adventure of full-time creative entrepreneurship. Thank you for being a part of this journey!