A Journey With Jenna

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! It’s hard to believe we’re less than three weeks away from Christmas now! If you need a couple stocking stuffer ideas or some recipes to try, I’ve got you covered! Here are 4 things I’m loving right now:

• Hearth & Hand candles. I’ve switched to soy candles and recently bought a couple of the Hearth & Hand ones from Target. I’m currently burning the Sugared Birch, which smells like a Christmas tree! And I also got a larger size in the Fireside scent, which is the perfect winter candle. I’ll be burning that one after Christmas.

• Vitamin E cream. I read great reviews about this inexpensive cream and decided to give it a try. It’s great for dry areas, especially in the winter, and I’m also going to use it on a scar to see if it will help with that. It’s very moisturizing without being greasy.

• African peanut stew. This soup has been on repeat for me since the weather finally cooled down, and it’s my new favorite! It’s so easy to make and comes together really quickly. It makes a pretty big pot, and I think it would freeze well, too. I’ve made mine with kale and love it!

• Peanut butter pumpkin bread. I made this bread last week and it was so good! I was looking for a “healthier” treat, and this doesn’t use any flour or sugar. It does have either maple syrup or honey in it (I used honey), and you can add chocolate chips or not. I opted to, but I used the Enjoy Life brand dark chocolate morsels, which are all natural and lower in sugar. The bread is really moist and not dense at all. It’s just like the normal bread texture you’d expect.

I hope you have a great weekend and enjoy everything the Christmas season has to offer! The Hallmark channel will be on pretty much all the time at my house!

Happy Friday! I’m back from vacation and have felt like I’ve been playing catch-up all week. Work has been super busy and I had to stay late some, so it’s been a long week and I’m more than ready for the weekend!

I’m going to do things a bit differently this week and am only going to highlight the 4 things I liked, rather than recapping the 4 Things with Amy Brown podcast, too. I may start doing it this way because it just takes a lot of time to listen to the podcast and prepare the blog posts each week. And depending on how it goes, I may turn this into a monthly post instead. Anyway, here are the 4 things I’m loving most right now, and three of them are from Target!

• Fall hat. I don’t get to wear hats much unless I’m on vacation, so I picked up this one from Target to bring with me on my trip. It’s a nice brown color and has a leopard print trim, so it’s neutral enough to go with anything. And it’s comfortable to wear!

• Sweater. This animal print sweater is thin enough to wear when the weather is in the 70s like it was the day I wore it, but you could also layer it and keep warm. It comes in a few different prints and is really comfortable. I have a leopard print and a colorblock version, too.

• Hiking boots. Okay, so I didn’t intend to actually hike in these boots. I thought they were more for just everyday wear, but I ended up hiking in them quite a bit and they never once bothered me. They were warm and comfortable, and I like that they zip on the side so you don’t even have to untie them.

• Unbelievable. I started watching this Netflix series a few weeks ago, but didn’t have a chance to get past the first couple episodes, although I was really into it! So, vacation was the perfect time to finish the series, and it was sooo good! It’s based on a true story about a girl accused of lying about a rape, only to find out that two female detectives end up investigating similar attacks. I highly recommend this one!

I hope everyone has a great weekend! I need to do some yard work, but I’m okay with that because it’s finally supposed to cool down a bit, so I want to be outside as much as possible anyway. Have a great one, and thanks for reading!

It’s been a busy week prepping for vacation, but I couldn’t be more excited to be in the mountains! It’s supposed to rain a lot, but hopefully I can still get in plenty of outdoor activities. Here’s this week’s recap of Amy’s podcast, 4 Things with Amy Brown. She had inspirational speaker and author, Bob Goff, on and they talked about 4 different things. Go listen to the full episode if you haven’t already, and be sure to subscribe to the podcast!

1. Love does. Bob discussed his first book, Love Does, and how we can put love into action. To show love, he has decided to make himself very available to help others, and he even included his personal cell phone number in the book.
2. Everybody always. Bob’s second book, Everybody Always, talks about how to love difficult people, and Bob and Amy discussed some examples.
3. Dreaming big. Bob said distractions and stress are the two things that keep us from getting to our dreams. He said we should focus on our ambitions and make sure they parallel with what we’re good at; move distractions and stress aside; then look for an opportunity.
4. Gratitude. Amy asked Bob 4 things he’s grateful for and he named family, his community of friends, the opportunity to engage people, and his faith.

Here are the 4 things I’m loving most this week.

• Bang Bang Brussels sprouts. I tried my friend Kelly from Trial and Eater‘s recipe for spicy roasted Brussels sprouts the other night, and they were delicious! I had to modify it a bit because I thought I had sweet chili sauce, but turns out I only had sweet and sour sauce! It still worked well and cut the heat a little bit. Give these a try, and if you don’t like Brussels sprouts, I think this would be great with cauliflower, too.

• Red Clay Gourmet pimento cheese snack packs. This company makes my very favorite pimento cheese, and my grocery store is now carrying their snack packs. It comes in convenient, individual-sized packages with flatbread crackers for dipping. The crackers are delicious, too. The snack packs come in a few different flavor varieties, and they’re all so good! My grocery store keeps them in the deli near the hummus.

• Saverne naturally raw curtido. I didn’t know what curtido was until recently, and now I love it! It’s very similar to sauerkraut. It’s cabbage slaw that’s been fermented. It has other veggies like carrots and onions in it, along with the cabbage and some spices. It’s naturally raw and promotes good digestive health. I found this brand at a local store, and it’s great by itself or topped on avocado toast!

• Kabocha squash. I tried this squash for the first time the other night and really liked it! The peeling is edible and it gets crispy when roasted. I followed this recipe, and it turned out perfectly! It’s good dipped in ketchup or just by itself. I think it tastes like a cross between sweet potato, butternut squash and pumpkin. It’s full of fiber (so it’s very filling) and low in sugar and carbs.

Get out and do something fun this last weekend of October! I plan to do all the fall things, so while I’m enjoying my time off, there won’t be a blog post next Friday, but I’ll see you back here soon!

October seems to be flying by, and I’m trying to soak it all in and enjoy it as much as I can. I’m planning to do lots of cooking this weekend and packing for my upcoming vacation in the mountains, which I’m super excited about! Here’s this week’s recap of Amy’s podcast, 4 Things with Amy Brown. This week she had Kristin Chenoweth on and they talked about 4 different topics. Go listen to the full episode if you haven’t already, and be sure to subscribe to the podcast!

1. Upbringing and music. Kristin grew up on a farm in Oklahoma and lived a very normal childhood. She sang in church, but didn’t really immerse herself in music until she studied it in college. A lot of people think of her as an actress, but she’s always been a singer and dancer, too.
2. Hallmark Christmas movies. Kristin has a Hallmark Christmas movie coming out this year in which she plays a choir teacher who gave up being a Broadway star in order to teach. This movie has a special story and is something Kristin is very proud of. She even wrote a song that’s featured in the movie.
3. Giving back. She started the Kristin Chenoweth Broadway Boot Camp in Oklahoma for kids who are 13-18 and may not be able to afford lessons in the arts. They sing, act, and dance for a week. Kristin will soon expand this program to include other arts like graphic design, and she wants this boot camp to be her legacy.
4. Gratitude. Kristin shared the story of how she was adopted as a baby. The family she was originally going to got pregnant just before she was born, so she was placed with the Chenoweth family instead. She’s so grateful it worked out the way it did and that she was raised by her parents.

I’m doing things a little differently this week. Last Saturday, I went to Southern Charm at the Farm, which is a huge artisan show and vintage market that takes place twice a year in Clemmons, North Carolina. I’ve been going for the past couple years and it’s always so fun! I thought I’d share some of my favorite vendors, so here are 4 I love, and most of them have online shops where you can purchase items, too.

• North Mountain Candle Co. They have the best smelling candles that are handcrafted with soy and essential oils and lead-free wicks, so I feel good about burning them!

• The Southern Delight. I LOVE Courtney’s items and always enjoy checking out her booth. It was packed on Saturday and things were selling out quickly! I got my little “Be Still” sign from her last year.

• Eliza Quinn Creates. I just discovered this vendor last Saturday, and I have to say that her booth was the best decorated in my opinion! I loved her setup and ended up purchasing my white tassel beads from her. I’m not sure if she sells online, but it’s worth contacting her to find out.

• Chicka-Jen’s. This vendor sadly wasn’t there this time, but it’s always one of my very favorite booths to check out. I love their furniture and signs, and bought one from them last year that says “Pray, trust, wait. He is in the waiting.” They offer free shipping on all signs, too!

I hope you have a great weekend, and thanks for reading!

Happy Friday! I’ve been waiting for this day for months now because I’m finally getting away for the weekend! Hoping for some cooler weather and fun fall festivals and activities. Anyway, let’s get right to it. Here’s this week’s recap of Amy’s podcast, 4 Things with Amy Brown. Go listen to the full episode if you haven’t already, and be sure to subscribe to the podcast!

1. Dating your spouse. Amy and her husband, Ben, talked about the importance of spending time one-on-one… and planning it so it actually happens!
2. Exercise addiction. Lisa @thewellnecessities came on to talk about creating a healthy relationship with exercise. She said we shouldn’t get obsessed with forcing ourselves to workout on certain days or to do certain workouts. Maybe just going for a walk is enough sometimes. We need rest days, too.
3. Surviving grief. @ashleyklemieux was back to discuss her new book, Born to Shine, and how it has tips for getting through dark moments in life. Ashley also shared a personal story of a struggle she’s been through.
4. Stop complaining. Amy shared a story to help shift our mindset instead of complaining. Basically, she said we wouldn’t laugh at the same joke if it was told to us over and over, so we should stop complaining about the same things over and over.

Here are the 4 things I’m loving most this week.

• Chickpea salad. This is one of my favorite go-to lunches. I like it in a sweet potato wrap (it’s good with or without lettuce and tomato) or just by itself. It would be great as a regular sandwich on bread, too. It’s so easy and flavorful! This is the recipe I use. I made a couple modifications (I use dijon mustard instead of spicy, Vidalia onion instead of red, and I typically only have dried dill on hand, so I use that).

• Apple nachos. These are perfect for a fall sweet treat. Just melt some peanut butter and chocolate chips, then drizzle it over sliced apples. Top with some granola and sliced bananas, and that’s it!

• Thankful clothing line from The Shop Forward. The Shop Forward released their “thankful” collection this week and they have some really cute pieces. My favorites are the tee and pink hoodie. I think they would be fun to wear any time of year because being thankful is always in style.

• Chap Stick Total Hydration Tinted Moisturizer. I ordered this to use as an everyday moisturizer when my lips get dry this time of year. I like that it has a sheer color to it, and it’s 100% natural. I got the Merlot color.

That’s all for this week. Hope you have a great weekend, and thanks for reading!