My ‘Spring Fever’ Monday Choices

February 29, 2016 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

I have a double whammy in the motivation department today: Not only is it Monday…It’s unbelievably gorgeous outside – 72° and sunny with a light breeze. Seriously – how can I be expected to focus on the world of medical malpractice on today of all days!!

So for this afternoon’s ‘My Choice Monday’, I present to you a sampling of Spring 2016!

Spring Has Sprung! by craig-pier-lefebvre featuring Erickson Beamon

Monique Lhuillier graduation gown
neimanmarcus.com

Flat shoes
$68 – prettyballerinas.us

Louis Vuitton brown leather purse
tradesy.com

Erickson Beamon earrings
renttherunway.com

Christian Dior lipstick
$37 – harrods.com

Spring Fever Home Goods by craig-pier-lefebvre featuring Pier 1 Imports

Oh my goodness!!! All of those beautiful spring colors, lovely blossoms and light and airy clothing!!! I can’t wait for spring in the South to be here to stay…for a little while anyway! 😉

Until Tomorrow,

My Choice Monday

A No-Cheat Coffee Treat!

February 22, 2016February 22, 2016 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

Almost daily I have the same phenomenon occurring – People ask me quite frequently how I manage to stay on the wacky diet I have…all the time. Well, there are several reasons:

I don’t have much of a choice, medically speaking. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome & Insulin Resistance pretty much dictate eating zero sugar (and hence, no carbohydrates) if I want to be healthy, not continually gain weight, and have the possibility of having a child with my husband one day.
Learning to cook healthy, carb-free meals at home that your whole family can enjoy makes for an easier lifestyle – There is no ‘I have to eat this…So I’ll order you a pizza.’
Once or twice a week, I allow myself a ‘mini-cheat’…Don’t get too excited! 🙂 Occasionally, I add quinoa or farro into a dish I am preparing for Craig and I to provide a little bit of healthy fiber and whole grain. After being without rice, potatoes, and bread for so long, this actually feels like a treat!!
I create my own versions of things I love but can no longer have – like fancy coffeehouse drinks!

Recently, Craig and I were looking at a home with a realtor and she mentioned that the last time she had met with the homeowner, they had had coffee together and the realtor couldn’t believe how delicious the coffee she made was. Well, I happened to notice the kitchen island housed the coffee maker and the coffee she used and took that into account for my own experiment..

The homeowner used regular coffee and blended that with a flavored coffee mix like this one, and then added coffee creamer to complete what I am sure was a delicious deviation from a regular cup of coffee at home. So I thought about it and then decided to create my own sugar free version:

Using about a teaspoon and a half of the Eight O’Clock Instant Coffee, mixed with about two tablespoons of the Hills Bros. Sugar-Free Cappuccino Mix, I add in boiling water and a splash of heavy whipping cream…Oh my goodness! What a treat!!! I have also used the french vanilla cappuccino and love that version, as well.

This little drink has helped ‘fill-in-the-gap’ for me on those days when I just need a Starbuck’s latte – – – aka most days. 🙂 As a side note, if you want a little bit of decadence and are planning a Starbuck’s trip, you can certainly order a breve latte with any sugar-free syrup. Breve just means they make the latte with cream rather than milk – which is much more carb/sugar friendly!!

You can check out more of our healthy and delicious recipes here or by searching ‘recipe’ in the search box on the top right of our homepage.

Have a wonderful day! We’ll be back tomorrow for another chat 😉

Food For Thought Friday

I Spy…

February 19, 2016 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres1 Comment

HAPPY FRIDAY!!! I feel like shouting from the rooftops! This week has been SO long and I have had Friday-itis all day! It’s sunny and beautiful and 63 degrees out right now and I want to be outside enjoying it!!

So with today’s quick post, I’ll give you a peek into the good ol’ outdoors with the most adorable thing I have seen in a long while – A bald eagle girl (at Berry College in Rome, Georgia) and her bald eagle husband just had two babies and this is a 24 live feed next cam!!

Click Here To See Mama & Papa Eagle, and their babies!

Seriously, how cool!?!?

I won’t keep you today…Just wanted to share some of God’s beautiful creation!! Have a BEAUTIFUL weekend – I hope it’s just as gorgeous wherever you are as it is here!!

Thirsty For Christ Thursday

I Believe…

February 18, 2016February 18, 2016 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres2 Comments

As you may have seen via Facebook, Instagram or Twitter last night, I’ve embarked on a challenge – A challenge specifically dealing with drinking more water every day – One Gallon, to be precise.

At first, it was incredibly daunting – especially since I was literally starting at square one (aka I drank zero water per day)… but I’ve been following this health and fitness guru who swears by drinking a gallon per day. The health and detox benefits are phenomenal – I mean, I can already (on Day 4) feel a difference! It’s crazy how one ‘little’ change can seem so impossible, and yet make such a huge difference!

Mere water isn’t the only little change with big results.

True conversion to becoming a Christ Follower makes an even BIGGER and EVERLASTING change in your life, both now and for eternity. But that conversion is just what the word means – CHANGE. One cannot be a true Christian and live life in the same old way he (or she) did in the past. There must be a conversion, a change, a turning away from the past, a new life. This is what is means to be reborn.

Just as I’m adding a gallon of water to my daily intake, as a believer (and I’ll get to that tricky little word in a moment) I’ve added Bible reading, prayer, avoidance of certain activities, attending church services, and a daily strife for the strength to do all of these things (through He who strengthens me!) to my lifestyle. No one is perfect. No one gets it right all of the time! Just as there may be a day when I just can’t fit ALL of that water into my diet…but I don’t give up! “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14

Belief is a tricky little term – one I believe (no pun intended) satan has tricked a multitude of people out of salvation with. You see, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that–and shudder.” James 2:19 True Christianity is more than just “I believe in God and Jesus…”

No ma’am. That’s missing the mark.

Billy Graham has this to say about the word BELIEVE and how it is used in the Bible and in reference to our salvation – vs the sneaky way satan has encouraged it to be translated in society:

The word “believe” in the Bible means more than simply agreeing in our minds that something might be true. It means “trust”—that we believe so strongly in God that we are willing to commit our lives to Him and live the way we know He wants us to live.

Suppose you were walking along a path and you came to a bridge which crossed a deep canyon. You might look at it and believe that it would hold you, and you might even see other people walking across it so you know it would hold your weight. But so far, your “belief” in the bridge is only in your head. When do you really believe the bridge will hold you? You only really believe it when you are willing to commit your life to it and actually walk across it.

It is the same way with Christ. Yes, we can believe that God exists, but God wants us to come to know Him personally. And He has bridged the gap between us by sending His Son to remove the barrier of sin and become that “bridge.” To believe in Christ is to commit our lives by faith to Christ—to trust Him personally as our Lord and Savior.

“They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Acts 16:31 The Greek word translated here as ‘believe’ is ‘pisteuson‘, which means “to entrust, to place complete confidence in”.

This is different that society’s definition of the word: “Belief is the state of mind in which a person thinks something to be the case, with or without there being empirical evidence to prove that something is the case with factual certainty. In other words, belief is when someone thinks something is reality, true, when they have no absolute verified foundation for their certainty of the truth or realness of something…”

Obviously, these two types of belief of vastly dissimilar, as Dr. Graham points out in the previous passage. Being a Christian is more than just ‘believing that God is real and thinking there is no factual evidence to prove this’.

Being a Christian means placing your complete confidence in Christ, which involves making real and significant change in your lifestyle and routine.

If you want to truly experience the abundant life that a relationship with the Lord Jesus provides, totally entrust your life to Him. Peace With God will show you step-by-step how to do just that – it’s a website with a beautiful purpose, and there are even counselors there to speak to you, free of charge, about your decision for Christ and how to make the change.

The Christian life isn’t easy. You can’t sit back with your feet up, as satan would love for you to believe…but the RESULTS (eternity with God in Heaven!?!?!) are well worth the effort!!

What's Up Wednesday

What’s Up Wednesday? #95750

February 17, 2016 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

I know, I know. I definitely ruined any hope of keeping my New Year’s resolution of daily blogging in tact with my lack of posts this past week and a half!!

I don’t even have much of an excuse…so…please forgive me? 😉

Since I’ve last blogged, we have been all over the place – from Georgia to Maine, with Craig in Texas and juts in and out of Massachusetts. Here are the highlights:

We visited Maine, by way of Boston, once again! This time around, I got to see several of my former Youth Group members!

This group (and those who aren’t pictured) is what I miss most about Maine! It was so awesome to see them and reconnect!

As always, especially in Maine, we ate very well! We had the chance to revisit another of our favorite restaurants – Snow Squall. YUM!!

We worshipped at Cross Church the next morning, and then ate lunch at Robert’s Maine Grill – I totally blew my regimented eating plan and splurged on a Lobster Roll….Totally worth every single consequence!

Since flying back to Atlanta, it’s been mostly business as usual… With a little bit of Valentine’s adventure thrown in… 😉

My husband sent the most beautiful flowers to my office!! If you ever need flowers in the Atlanta area, Blooms of Dunwoody should be your go-to. Craig uses them every. time. #goodman

He sent me out for a ~~much-needed~~ mani/pedi on Saturday morning, and we had a delicious and romantic dinner at Chequer’s Steak & Seafood. Recently, I have been on a seafood kick – The Metformin I’m taking has really done a number on the list of food aversions I have, and seafood is one of the only things I can stand to eat!

After church on Sunday morning, Craig took me on a beautiful drive up into the North Georgia Mountains, where we ate some yummy sushi and ended up at Yonah Mountain Vineyards!!

Oh my goodness…GORGEOUS!!!! In short, our Valentine’s weekend was just wonderful and the perfect time to celebrate the amazing blessing the Lord has given us in our marriage!

So see? Maybe we have been a little bit busy gallivanting all over, since I have been blog-absent… Forgive me? 😉

See you tomorrow!! (Promise!)

Thirsty For Christ Thursday

What Kind of Faith?

February 4, 2016February 4, 2016 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

“What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.” James 2:14-17 NLT

For a long while, I felt like the passage above from the book of James rivaled this one from Ephesians…and it bothered me:

“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” Ephesians 2:8-9

In fact, these passages don’t rival each other in the least. They are simply written for different audiences, and are both speaking about true faith.

So what kind of faith do you need exactly?

One that is real.

James isn’t saying here that grace is negated. No, the grace of God, Jesus’ death on the cross is what saves us from our sin and brings us to eternal life. No, James is saying that if you truly know Jesus your life will be a reflection of that.

This is not to say we aren’t human and make ~~a ton of~~ mistakes (Romans 3:23), but once you encounter the Lord, you cannot help but be changed! Having true faith is more than just believing in God…It is more than believing Jesus was truly the Son of God. Faith is defined in Hebrews as “…faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)

The Second letter to the Corinthians tells us, “For we live by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7). If you are living by faith [the assurance of things hoped for; the conviction of things not seen], you are putting your trust and reliance solely on Him – or at least striving to do so.

And how would a lifestyle like that look?

You would be kind to others, no matter how they treated you.

You would give anything you had to help someone else.

You would pray for those around you – whether you liked them or not.

You would never be worried about how your basic needs would be met, so you wouldn’t live in a constant stress about finances.

Your life would emanate the Light of Christ.

So then, plain faith, alone, isn’t enough. True faith – the kind with the Holy Spirit living inside of you – guiding your life.

59 James - 1985 — Click Here For An Entire Series On The Book of James By Skip Heitzig

If your life isn’t completely surrendered to Him, and He isn’t knocking on the door of your heart about it…

What kind of faith do you have?

We would love to pray with you! Comment below or send us an e-mail! We would love to hear your heart.

What's Up Wednesday

Scary Movies & A Healthy Treat

February 3, 2016 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

Happy Mid-Week Everyone!

Craig left for Texas this morning, but we have a special weekend away planned, and I just can’t wait!! #2DaysUntilFriday

Last night, we went to the movies and saw The Boy.

I love a good scary movie every now and then, and this one definitely had a twist at the end I didn’t see coming. Poor Craig’s hand is probably numb today from my squeezing it so tightly at the theatre last night! If you’re looking for a jolt, this is your movie.

We took this picture last night at the movies…I’m not sure why it looks like it was taken with a 1999 digital camera…but…there you have it. 🙂

In other news, we all know I love cooking and baking…and trying to make either of those things as healthy as possible is one thing I love to be challenged with! So, this week, I made SuperMan Breakfast Bars with coconut flour and all-natural clover honey for Craig to have a healthy, but travel-ready breakfast to bring on his trips.

SuperMan Breakfast Bars

These are SUPER simple, and according to my husband, extra yummy – not to mention healthy!

Here’s what you’ll need:

parchment paper
1 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup flax seed (milled)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup coconut flakes (unsweetened)
1 1/4 cup mixed nuts
2 TBS chia seeds
2 TBS dried blueberries
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup clover honey
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350*, and line a smaller baking dish with parchment paper. (Hint: You can make it a lot easier on yourself by spraying the dish with non-stick spray for to make the parchment stick.) In one bowl, combine coconut flour, salt, baking soda soda, coconut flakes, nuts, flax and blueberries. In another bowl, combine butter, honey and vanilla. Once well combined, pour dry ingredients into wet and mix well. Press into baking dish on parchment, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Once cool, place into refrigerator to chill (at least 2 hours), and then cut into squares to serve. These can be kept fresh for about a week in a zip-lock bag, refrigerated.

If you try them, let us know what you think! I have found ‘sugar-free honey’ at Aldi, and can’t wait to try this recipe for myself – Insulin Resistant Style! 🙂

Y’all have a wonderful Wednesday!!

Much Love,

TTC Tuesday

In The Waiting: How You Can Help!

February 2, 2016February 2, 2016 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

Good Morning Friends!

I don’t know how the weather is where you are, but here in Atlanta, we have almost 70* temperatures!! Raining or shining outside, it makes me smile when the weather warms up! There’s just something about not having to have either the heat or the air conditioning on!

Today, on Thank You Jesus Tuesday, I wanted to share an amazing organization with you – and an opportunity to help children. Craig and I have made it no secret that we have been ready (since September 15, 2012) to be parents for a while now, but in the waiting for Jonah…in the waiting for an adoptive child…there is so much we can do to help.

‘Dream Weavers of Georgia is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of foster children.[Their] goal is to create opportunities and provide resources that promote educational, emotional and social well being of Georgia’s foster children.’

No matter where you reside or how many children you have, you can help Dream Weavers of Georgia’s children, too! Click here to see an array of opportunities to donate money towards new shoes, school supplies, a haircut or even dance lessons for a precious foster child.

In 2014, in the State of Georgia alone, there were almost 9,000 children in the foster care system. For the same year, the U.S. Department of Children & Family Services reported over 415,000 in foster care in the country! Programs like Dream Weavers provide a little light and love for these kids, and you can so easily be a part of making a difference in a precious child’s life!

If you live in Georgia, there are tons of volunteer opportunities and numerous events throughout the year to participate in! DWOG does an annual Tubing Trip, Pool Party, Fall Festival & Christmas Parade each year for the kids and I’m sure they can never have too many hand on-deck! 🙂

Check out Dream Weavers of Georgia or do a little research and find out how you can help foster children in your area. Let this be your Valentine. ❤

My Choice Monday

My Choice Monday: Valentine’s Day Gifting

February 1, 2016February 1, 2016 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

Happy Monday!

And what a Monday it has been…! In the spirit of having not gotten anything (work-wise) done today — thanks, in part, to a two and a half hour meeting!!! — I did accomplish one thing.

A very important thing, I might add!

I found and ordered my husband’s Valentine’s Day gift.

That’s right – It’s already February, ladies and gents! No matter how trite you may (or may not) think this holiday is, I will take any opportunity to show Craig how much I love him!

But it isn’t always easy. Men, in general, are not easy to buy for – and my husband is no exception! I’ve done a lot of DIY things for him in our relationship, and this year, I wanted to gift him with something both practical and special.

Trying to find the perfect gift took quite a bit of research, but I wanted to share with you some sites that might make your search for the perfect Valentine’s gift (for your husband, wife, girlfriend, boyfriend, or secret admirer) a little bit simpler:

UnCommon Goods : If you’ve never visited this website or flipped through this catalog, you are in for a treat!! There is always something from this store I want or could give to Craig! Think: whimsical & unique.

2. Man Crates : For the hard to buy for man in your life, you can definitely find a gift for him here – beer, tools, grilling, sports…They have it all.

3. two chicks & company – Ever heard of the ‘Happy Everything’ plate?? It’s too cute and such a great decorating idea!!! If the special lady in your life loves to decorate for every season but is also crazy busy, this is the gift spot for her! Check it out!!