Fall, fall, fall

Today, in this part of Ontario anyway, is the perfect day. It was cool, chilly actually, when I woke up and there was dew on my car. The sun is shining and is a wee bit warm, but still cool enough that I can wear a sweater. And after the smoking hot summer we just had I cannot tell you what a relief this is! I love all the comfy cozy things about fall.

Needless to say, I am in an awfully cheerful mood  and on my way to work today and I decided that I would make for you a list of good fall-ish things. So, I will include some good fall music, outfits and maybe even some very unhealthy food.

Let's start with some fall-y clothes, okay :)

First off, shoes, because, let's face it- even though they may be the last piece of an outfit they are definitely the favourite. I found these cutie patooties at http://www.modcloth.com/ . They are just a cute pair of flats with a stripey print that I think would give the usual browns & beige of fall outfits an extra pop.


$27.99- rock it!

This second pair of flats is a more fall-y type colour and the scalloped tops just add an adorable little punch. they are also from http://www.modcloth.com/.

$69.99-k, a wee bit steep for a money saver like me..but so, so lovely!

And, of course we have to have some neat-o booties for fall! Yippee!

These babies are from http://www.payless.com/ and would be an adorable asset to some skinnies or leggings!

On Saleeee- Reg. $39.99, now only $29.99

These ones I own a pair of and love them. They are super comfy and cute. You can wear them with something dressy for work or with casual print leggings for a more casual, fun look.

$39.99

Okay-enough foot ware. I am getting way to excited about it and we need something to wear on the rest of our body! Hmmm... I guess since we started at the feet we may as well work our way up, right? Pants/bottoms next? Yes!

Okay, always a crowd pleaser (or an Emily pleaser at least!)- http://www.hm.com/ H&M...my love!

How about these gold skinny pants with those black boots? You could swing it, I swear!

$39.95

And, of course, some jeans. These are also from H&M. What I like about these is that they are a dark wash, so you have the ability to throw on a giant comfy knit sweater and go totally casual, or wear a colourful cami with a blazer and dress them up. I am all about the multi purpose clothing!

$24.95

These are similar to the jeans above but are boot cut, rather then the skinny(but also from H&M). If you have curves (ok-child bearing hips & bum), like yours truly, then the skinny may not be all that flattering. The boot cut adds just enough flare to the bottom to balance out your hip/bum/thigh area.

$49.95

Enough pants (I love them, but I want to talk about skirts!)

Again, from H&M, this skirt is a dandy colour for fall and you can wear it with anything. The texture also gives it a nice fall-y feel.

$17.95

This next one is from ModCloth again (link above) and is too cute to pass up.

$44.99



This one is fabulous! Seriously, what an excellent fall colour. You pair this with some brown flats, white cami and navy blazer and you will just look adorable! Once again, thank you ModCloth!

$39.99

Holy smokes this post is way too long. I hop I am not boring you with the sheer length of this one. Sorry Internet!

Have a grand day lovlies!

Prayers,

Emily xo











The Sweetest of the Little Things

Oh, Internet, I had this idea and I could not wait to share it, or rather her, with you!

I would like you all to meet Baby Tess. Okay, so she's almost two and can no longer really be classified as a baby, however, being the youngest in our family, to me she shall always be a baby.

So without further ado, here is the sweetie!

Ain't she cute?! What inspired my telling you about her was today while at work I phoned my Mom to ask her a question. Tessa, who badly needed a nap, wanted desperately to talk to me on the phone, so Mom handed it over. Usually when we 'talk' on the phone Tessa says absolutely nothing. I don't mean that she says something but I just don't understand, I mean there is dead silence on the other end of the line. I usually end up feeling crazy because I feel as if I am talking to no one.

But today my littlest sister was in a chatting mood. And by chatting I mean there was a full fledged, one sided baby talk ramble. She can say a few words, mostly 'MOOOOOOMMMM', the names of all my siblings and I (I'm fondly known as 'Nemie'), Dadda, Cocoa (her teddy's, puppy's and all toy's names), Miss (our dog, Missy), Baby and a few other select words. So today's conversation went mostly like this...

"Ammmenee Nemie (my name). Umnee doitmomma nee Mom s nree hfofgishh Cocoa nadnahfg dhddeeee Baby nahdhsihs Mawk(how she pronounces my brother Mark's name). Shhhhhh(I think her baby was sleeping)."

And on and on it went. I merely made confirming and affirming noises. Finally she got mad at my brother John (who turns 5 this Friday) and took her anger out on the phone by biting it, so Mom put an end to our conversation.

Tessa is truly a sweetie and man, will she be a handful as a teenager. She already has a massive attitude :) Ah, well. It makes for more stories.

This little lady will forever have a special place in my heart, for a few reasons I guess. The first being that I am the oldest and she is the youngest and we are separated by almost nineteen years. Needless to say, my relationship with her will forever be different then my relationship with my other sisters, who are all closer to my age. The second reason she will always have a special place in my heart is that the very first time I met her she was a month old, and so for a long month I longed to hold the little girl I had never met.

See Tessa was born while I was serving with NET Ministries http://www.netcanada.ca/. I was stationed at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Wetaskiwin Alberta and was far from home. The weekend my Mom had her my team and I were putting on a retreat for young people at a camp and my dad called early in the morning as I was getting ready for the day. The ladies on my team and I were in the women's public bathroom getting ready when one of the cooks (who took the call from my Dad) came in and said, "Is there an Emily Troutman in here?" One of the girls on my team shouted that is was probably the baby and we all bolted from the washroom where I got the news that little Tess had arrived, safe and sound. I cried lots of happy tears that day and was soooooo excited! The next month as I waited to go home for Christmas to visit was the longest month EVER... and then leaving after my 2 week visit for another 5 months was so very hard!

Anyway, enough mushiness! I just wanted to share this sweetie with the world!

Love, love, and prayers,

Nemie xo

Happy Tuesday

Tuesday is a good day, right? We have passed by that awful Monday, but it is still early in the week and we have not quite remembered why we hate Monday through Friday. It is kind of like this weird sort of wonderful where you forget about real life.

I have decided that Tuesday is going to be a special day on Sweet Little Things. Every Tuesday I am going to make a list of things I am grateful for. Like, for example, my dog, Missy. I will tell why I am particularly thankful for those things this week. Sound good?

So this week I am super grateful for my car. My car (which I have named Hiram) and I have a love-hate relationship most of the time. I have put a lot of money into my baby trying to make sure it always succeeds in getting me from point A to point B. However, other then a flat tire a few weeks back I haven't had much trouble with dear old Hiram lately. So, I am thankful that he can always get me to work and home safely! Praise God!

I am also thankful for my dear boyfriend Troy. He is always looking after me and I don't know how I would navigate life without him. He is my better half and I can always trust him to guard my heart and my soul. Thank you, God, for Troy!

And, here he is! This was taken back in April at my Aunt Teresa's beautiful wedding at St. Michael's Catholic Church.

What are you grateful for today ladies and gents?

Blessings & love,

Emm xo

Mmmmm-acaroons

Ok- so this evening I attempted Macaroons because they are seriously so delicious and I figured if I could nail making them then I would save money (which is really the goal in life).

So here is the recipe I used. Try 'em and let me know what you think!

Mine turned out not too shabby. They didn't look to fantastic, but they taste wonderful. I think with a few more tries I could get good. Here's to hoping anyway!

Macaroons:

-3/4 cup ground almonds
-1 cup icing sugar
-2 large eggs whites
-1/4 cup white sugar
-1/2 tsp Vanilla extract

Filling:

-Nutella (mmmm!)

1. Line 2 baking sheets with wax paper (parchment paper).
2. Sift ground almonds and icing sugar into a bowl and mix well
3. Place the 2 eggs whites in a bowl, and using an electric mixer, mix until soft peaks begin to form. Slowly mix in white sugar til a meringue begins to form. Mix in vanilla.
4. Fold almond mixture into meringue a little at a time. Once all the dry ingredients are mixed in a batter with ribbon-like consistence should begin to form.
5. Pour batter into a pastry bag with a 1/2" plain tip. Pipe 32 small circles onto the wax paper lined baking sheets. Lightly tap the sheets on a hard surface to get rid of any bubbles. Let stand at room temp. for half an hour.
6.Preheat over to 325F. Once preheated, bake for 10-15 mins. Let cool for 10 mins and then peel macaroons off the wax paper and let cool completely.
7. Sandwich macaroons together using Nutella

YUM! Enjoy!

I suggest you enjoy one with a cuppa tea darlings!

Cheers,

Emily xo

Back to School & Eating Healthy

Ah, back to school. Don't we all have mixed feeling towards this time of year? I mean, it is exciting in a way, but then again, it means we have to once again have structure in our lives. No more beach days whenever we feel like it. Sadness...
Whether you are a Momma, a student or just a single lady working her bum off (me!) this time of year has the same impact on your diet. See, as a Mom you're more then likely trying to manage the craziness of sending your kiddies off to school everyday, and work and keep up with your house. So, that might mean a bigger temptations to swing by and grab some fast food on your way home. And, before to long you're feeling some extra snugness around your waistline.

If you're a student then back to school means cafeteria and fast food over load. I know, you say you're not going to eat that stuff, but a few weeks in when you keep running out of time to pack a decent lunch in your rush to leave the house in the morning you have only one option. Fat and grease for lunch- yum. Oh, wait, my pants are getting snug- Bummer!

And, if you're like me, and you're living in a rough little apartment and dreaming of your forevers then this time of year means one thing. Fall has arrived. And, who doesn't love fall? It is truly wonderful-all those cozy (& ridiculously cute) pull overs, beautiful light jackets, trees turning colours, snuggling up on the sofa with a cup of tea and of course, all those fall and winter comfort foods. You know what I mean. Those tasty, hearty meals that we all jam into us. And, we too are feeling the impact of a growing waist line. Grrrr...

So, I am here to save your pants. Well, I hope to anyway. I am going to share with you a wee trick my Mom has been doing for years. And, she looks super fantastic for having nine children! So, I figure there is something to this lifestyle of hers. I think she maybe read of this diet somewhere, but I am not sure. Either way, I'll share it with you.

Fruitful Mornings, that's what I have taken to calling it. So, here's what you do: you eat only fruit until noon. That is it. I know-you're thinking that you'll be hungry. But, here's the trick to avoid that..

When you wake up grab a piece of fruit and chow down, then get ready for your day. Just before you leave the house, eat another one. If you have a long drive to work or school, you may want to take one for the road. And, all morning just munch on fruit when you feel a hunger coming on. It works like a charm and it so good for you! It is a fabulous way of getting in most of your 5-10 fruits and veggies a day, and you honestly have so much more energy for the rest of the day. It is so great.

For the most part, having a quick snack is an option. If you're a student, a banana or some berries is something quick you can eat between class. If you're working, most office jobs allow you a quick snack now and then. The best part is that if for some reason one day you just can't eat more then once because of a big meeting or an exam you can break this Fruitful Morning plan and go back to it the next day. It is way less hard to go back to then breaking a diet or avoiding sugar or something.

So try it out and let me know what you think. I would also suggest that if you are a caffeine addict that you try to break yourself of your coffee habit this fall and switch to green tea. It gives you an energy kick, and it really good for you.

Well, best of luck on keeping that waistline down and have a fabulous back to school time!

Prayers,

Emily

Summer Shavin'

Ok- yes I am aware that summer is basically over, but I wanted to share with you some lovely tips for keeping your gorgeous legs super smooth. You will just have to remember this for next summer, or for you winter vacation to somewhere tropical, right?

Alright, step one- Exfoliate! Apparently this helps expose teeny hairs that would usually be hidden under your skin, which leads to a better, longer lasting smoothness, and who doesn't want that!

Step two- Conditioner. Yes, that's right- the same stuff you use to make your hair soft and smooth works on your legs. I find that using conditioner (any kinds you want!) as a shaving cream leaves your legs feeling much smoother and more hydrated. So, when you towel off your legs require less lotioning. It helps prevent that dry desert limb look.

Anyway, give it a try and let me know what you think. And, share your own tips and tricks, because ladies, we need to stick together with the shaving nonsense!

Lots of love, & wishing you extra smooth legs for those last few warm days of summer sunshine,

Em

A Wee Bit o' Love

Okay- this is a plug for my place of work. It is honestly the neatest place ever, and you too will love it. It's a great place to work and a fantastic place to shop. I am doing this for no other reason then I genuinely love where I work!

I have linked it here because I want you to be able to share in my joy by browsing our website (& purchasing some serious Celtic merchandise-come on, you know you want to).

Also- only 4 months and 3 days til Christmas, so get your butts in gear and do some serious shopping!

I love ya'll,

Emi-Lou ;)

http://oreillystreasures.com/

Stuff & Nonsense

Hello all you dear people!
I hope you enjoy my blog that will, undoubtedly, be filled with stuff & nonsense.
I plan on filling you in on the craziness of my life as the oldest of nine children, about my interesting life with my room mate and our cat, Gus, and about the tales and adventures of my day to day life.

I love to bake, and so, I also want to share with you delightful kitchen-y things!

I hope you enjoy all of this ridiculous-ness as I share with you all the journeys in my life God is calling me on.

Stay tuned, folks. I promise entertainment.

God bless & mucho love,

Emily