ANOTHER JOURNAL ENTRY | Katie Huntley

Five years ago, I sat down and wrote out 25 things that I wanted to remind myself during my self-proclaimed “quarter life crisis”. So much has happened since that time, and I decided to sit down and write an updated version to myself of things I want to remember at 30. In doing this, and comparing it to my age-25 notes, it was amazing to see how far I have come as an adult and how much more I have to learn about life. Don’t lose sight of what truly matters. Does that clogged sink signify the end of the world? Are you going to remember or even care that the stranger you smiled at in the coffee shop didn’t smile back? When people have a bad day, it is easy to zoom in on the petty things and complain about them. Next time you are pulling your hair out, ask yourself if it truly matters. It is okay to be alone, or pull back from the world. Take a step back and re-evaluate a situation, a relationship or just life in general. Learn to become your own best friend. Self care is critica...

“It is scary to be who you’re meant to be. It doesn’t feel easy because it’s not. But we were made for this. Like today’s scripture [2 Timothy 1:8-9] says, we have holy work. Why be brave? Because when we’re brave enough to share the God stories in our lives, it changes the people around us. It changes us to share them.”   In today’s note, Annie talks about how she witnessed friends sharing their story of faith with a friend. It is not easy to share your own story, but it is soo important that we do. She gives the explain of when we tell small children not to be afraid of the slide, so we go first. That’s why we must start. That’s why we must go first. That’s why we must be brave – so that others will be inspired to be brave along with us. We can be brave because we were always meant to be brave.  Be Brave: Think back on your day. Where can you see God working on your behalf? Or just showing up for you? Tell Somebody.  So, my somebody, is you - whoever...

( Click here to order your copy ) I've noticed several of my friends sharing their stories on social media lately with the hashtag #100DaysToBrave, and my curiosity took over so I downloaded the book to my tablet. Let's just say, I think I have found a new favorite daily spiritual devotional.  Perfect. Just what I needed. Something short, sweet and meaningful to add to my day.  The first assignment (day one) is to make a public declaration that you are committing the next 100 days to ‘being brave’. I honestly do not know what this means in my life but I’m beyond excited to find out. Couldn’t we all use a little more bravery in our life? Lately I have been feeling like something is missing in my life. I don't believe in coincidences. I think these next 100 days of brave is God calling to me to dive further into Him. To explore my faith. To embrace and completely utterly surrender to His plan. To not just sit back but to ACT on His plan and make an impact. So toda...

Just flew back from Vegas where my sweet husband, my brother C and his wife J and I all celebrated my #dirty30; talk about one incredible city! It was my first time there, and I'm going to need to go back at least 15 times to see everything. We checked out the High Roller, the Hoover Dam, and zip lined Fremont Street. DAY ONE: DAY TWO: DAY THREE:

Let’s all be honest here. The best part of a relationship is always the beginning.  Yes, there are other amazing parts in the lifetime of relationship-hood, don’t get me wrong. The moment you realize you've fallen in love. The moment you realize this other person's happiness is more important than your own. The day he proposes. The day your first child is born. All the other good shit. And, yeah, I’m totally in awe of your parents who have been married for forty years and still seem to be madly in love; but if you were to ask them when the best part of their long-term romance took place, I’ll bet a billion dollars it wasn’t when they were eyeballs-deep in a pile of your dirty diapers or when they negotiating the price on their first house. Those things are the natural part of the long-term commitment you make to another person. The beginning? That isn't real life, not just yet. But hot damn, it's great. It’s that initial period of courtship: the small w...

Try a new hobby Make goals and intentions for yourself Think nice thoughts about yourself on a daily basis Treat yourself to a spa day Take a new class Bake a treat for yourself Go on a drive alone Relax Take yourself out to lunch or dinner Write a daily journal and look back at your thoughts at the end of the year Ride a bike Go on a scenic walk Write yourself notes to remind yourself how important you are Volunteer Complete a random act of kindness Workout Get lost in a book store Sing out loud Finish a project Take a hot bubble bath Meditate Clean out your closet Buy yourself flowers Watch the sun rise and set Make a gratitude list Go to a movie by yourself Pray for someone else

I don’t pretend to be money savvy, or even someone who is good with budgeting. In fact, I downright suck at handling money. From the time I was little, my mom described my impulsiveness as having “money burning a hole in my pocket”. It was different when I was single: I didn’t have to answer to anyone, and a part of me kind of misses that. But in the grander scheme of things, I need that accountability. I need someone yelling, “Why the hell did you pay $40 for a dress ?!” or “Why do you need 50 pairs of shoes?!” Okay, maybe the dress price is an exaggeration, but you get my husband’s point… It also doesn’t help when a spender marries a spender. At some point, somebody has gotta cave in and become a saver. That person in my marriage is my husband. And he’s amazing at it. It has also caused some….um…. not so pleasant moments in our household.  ** A page in my planner ** So, why am I writing this all out? Because I know I am not alone in this. I know there are ...

I have never been one to fancy myself a chef; in fact, usually whenever the smoke detector has gone off it simply means I am in the kitchen again. After a while, it just stopped going off. As if to say, “oh, she’s at it again. No danger here!” I’m sure it had nothing to do with needing new batteries…  On keto, however, home cooked meals are essential. And even before keto, I had started getting into the habit of making at least two of our meals at home each week. It isn’t only healthier, but more budget friendly. It’s become fun for me, to try and put together a healthy meal that is always balancing what my body needs on keto, which is a lot of fats. One of my favorite recipes that I’ve discovered is a goat cheese, walnut and thyme stuffed pork chop. Pork chops tend to be on the lean side, so the cheese and walnuts add the needed fat. Bon Appetit! 3 oz. goat cheese ½ c. chopped walnuts 1 T. chopped fresh thyme 4 center-cut pork chops, butterflied Sea salt and freshl...

I know we have all heard that tired, overused cliché “New Year, New Me”, but do we ever truly mean it? Is it something that we say because we feel the need to verbalize that this year is going to be different than last when deep down we know that, more than likely, we will just fall back into the same old routines?  I started this year out with the “New Year, New Me” attitude: but with that attitude, I have also changed my lifestyle. It doesn’t mean anything until one takes action—you know that other cliché “actions speak louder than words”. Well, I am about that life this year.  What is this change, you might ask? I have set a weight loss goal – and have fully embraced the ketogenic lifestyle. There are days, like yesterday, where I fully embraced a slice of pizza – but I won’t allow a moment of weakness to totally derail me back to my old life of carby fatness. I have witnessed several people who talked about it for a while, and then went back to how they were, and I vow...