'Tis the Reason

I finally got home around 10pm after a jam-packed Christmas Day of driving here and there. My car was stocked with presents that Carter and I had received, and I had to make quite a few trips up and down the stairs just to bring them all up. My apartment was a mess from Christmas morning activities and a pile of dishes sat in the sink from breakfast. Carter was with his dad for half of the day and was sleeping at his house for the night. I sat down on the couch in the quiet of the room and looked at the bags of presents. I felt empty. It's not that I expected for bags of presents to make me feel whole, but I felt strangely guilty. Carter and I had been very blessed, with materialistic things. All the toys a child could want, home decor, and gift cards. I hadn't asked for anything for Christmas, and I feel very fortunate to have been blessed with such thoughtful gifts. But as I sat there, tears began to fill my eyes. What I wanted for Christmas is not something that anyone could place under the tree. I wanted my son to be at home, asleep in his room and to have the family that I always dreamed he would have. I wanted to have my parents together, and I wanted to have the relationship with my mother that I used to have. But I know better. God has a plan that far exceeds any plans that I could have for my own life. And much as it hurts, I have to trust that he knows what he's doing. 

I stood up to get a tissue, and as I began to walk, I passed by a mirror. For some reason, I just stood there and looked at my reflection. I have cried many tears within the past year, but this time I didn't wipe them away, I just let them fall. And as I looked at myself, I saw a girl that I didn't recognize. This girl was strong. But she didn't get that way on her own. 

I have learned that in my deepest moments of despair, to lay it all down before Jesus. In those moments when I don't want to get up off the floor, He reaches down to take my hand and helps me up again.... and again. He says," The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." Exodus 14:14

I will never forget something that my dad told me not too long ago. He said, "There is only one man you can count on. As your dad, I will try my best but I am not perfect. But Jesus is." And my dad is right.

HE will never leave me. HE will never fail me. HE will never hurt me. HE is my rock. HE is my Savior. 

As I stood there looking in the mirror, a quiet voice was there to remind me that I wasn't walking through this alone. And through all of the trials and struggles, I can feel his presence. I believe that through me, he will use my story to further his kingdom and change the lives of others. Looking back at me in the mirror, I saw a girl who wasn't afraid of what the future holds, because she knows that her God is already there. He doesn't care about all those fancy gifts that we received for Christmas. He doesn't care what the comforter on your bed looks like, the brand of your handbag, or the jewels around your neck. He cares about what's in your heart. 

I now understood why I felt so empty. I looked around at my apartment and at those bags that were full of possessions and things that don't matter. I have things shoved away in drawers that I've forgotten about, and there's perfectly new toys that have sunk to the bottom of the toy box. I've got 20 pairs of shoes and there's children out there who don't even have one pair. I've become so selfish and have gotten so caught up in the earthly things of this world, that I have forgotten to live the way that Jesus has called us to live. Do I think that having nice things is wrong? Absolutely not! But if you're looking for earthy possessions to make you happy, you will always fall short. There will always be a newer, bigger, better thing out there. But there is only ONE God. And only He can fulfill your life, like nothing of this world. 

Matthew 6:19-21 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." 

If Jesus showed up at your doorstep for dinner, he wouldn't remember what you were wearing or what your house looked like. But he would remember what was in your heart. Each of is an innkeeper who decides if there is room for Jesus. Beneath all things of this World, is there room left for him in your heart?

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. Every year it seems to go by faster and faster and I find myself wanting hold on the magic of the season. However, I'm looking forward to a brand new year and I have been praying about something big that God has placed on my heart. Your prayers would be greatly appreciated! If you don't hear from me before, I pray that you have a wonderful New Year's Day!

Xoxoxo, 

Brittani 

Homemade Bath Fizzies

There is nothing more that I look forward to at night, than taking a long relaxing bath at the end of the day. As a treat, I have always loved using Lush Cometics' bath bombs, but they can be anywhere from $6-$10 per bath bomb. With the amount of baths that I take, I'd be spending a lot of money on something that's going to fizzle away in just a few minutes. However, I always love how they make my bath water smell so good and my skin so soft. Soooo... I looked for recipes on Pinterest in an attempt to make my own. As expected, I came across dozens of recipes. After reading up on all of them, I decided to make a variation of my own recipe. 

So here are the ingredients I used. HOWEVER, I would substitute the baby oil for sweet almond oil. I just so happened to have baby oil on hand but I regret not using almond oil. Coconut oil is also optional because it doesn't completely fizz in the water, but it will make your skin so soft. 

3/4 cup corn starch-$3

1 cup baking soda -$2

1/2 cup citric acid (found at most health food stores; bought mine at Goodstuff) -$4

3T sweet almond oil ( also read that vegetable oil works well) -$6

1T coconut oil (OPTIONAL) -$10

1/3 small bottle essential oil; I used Lavender but you can choose any oil you choose -$10 

Food colors of choice 

Molds ( clear round ornaments, muffin tin with or without liners, different shaped candy molds)

NOT PICTURED A spray bottle with water. Helps to distribute the food coloring throughout the mixture.

My handy little helper........

Mix all the dry ingredients together (baking soda, citric acid, corn starch) in a large bowl.

Next add the sweet almond oil and the coconut oil if you choose. Then add the essential oil of your choice. I "guesstimated" the amount of oil I used to be about 1/4 to 1/3 of the bottle. I wanted my fizzies to be purple so I added about 5 drops of both red and blue food coloring. Then, spray the mixture with water to help distribute the color. Mix with your hands until the mixture is the color you want and the consistency is moldable like sand when squeezed. 

Press the mixture into the mold(s) you are using. I used a muffin tin with liners, but I plan to use a clear plastic ornament for the next batch so that they are in the shape of a ball. 

Let them sit in the freezer overnight. The liner will peel off easily when ready. 

And here's what they look like when they're done! I wish they would have been more of a purple color, but this was pretty "trial and error" for me. 

They made my bath water smell AMAZING and my skin SO soft. I even broke one in half and used it in Carter's bath, and his skin was so soft after. 

  

I hope that this recipe works for you!! I will however, continue to "tweak" the the ingredients and I promise to update you on any changes that I find work better. There are so many variations of this recipe with many shapes and scent combinations that it's overwhelming!

So grab a glass of wine, turn on Pandora, drop a bath Fizzie in your water and ENJOY!! 

Xoxoxo, 

Brittani