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A Hundred Affections

Inspiration for Moms Running the Show at Home

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Welcome to A Hundred Affections!

Hi, I'm Kate - a long-time Christian, late bloomer, former high school English teacher, current SAHM to twin toddlers (our miracle rainbow babies)! If you're a busy mom, trying to do and be the best for the people in your life, you've come to the right place! My goal is to inspire moms running the show at home in balancing faith, family, home and health! If you need encouragement, ideas, practical information, or just a kindred spirit, you'll find it here.

100affections

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So this is how we spent our afternoon today… it was a toss-up between ‘Should I finish painting the hallway? Should I drag them to Xfinity and Dollar Tree? Should I take them to the playground?” But they seemed content enough going between army men and painting...they would start a picture, go play, I’d finish, then they’d paint some more…

I’m not great at having margins in our day where we can ALL just chill out, where I’m not busy doing something ‘productive’ while they’re playing. I justified it by telling myself I was up late painting and cleaning, James had me up in the middle of the night so I was a little extra tired today … but it’s kinda sad that I even felt like I needed to justify(even if just to myself) having a low-key afternoon water-painting with my boys without ‘getting stuff done.’ Work in progress. But I know that every time I make the choice to actually DO something with my kids, not just stay busy doing something else while they play, they are so easily satisfied.

It’s so easy, but not easy. The part of motherhood that’s about me is learning that it’s NOT about me. It’s dying to yourself and looking to the needs of someone else as being more important than your own.

Pretty much just being a Christian with and in front of your kids. Maybe that’s motherhood in a nutshell.

#motherhood #boymom #twinmom #christianmom #christian #livelikeChrist
#momguilt #momlife #hisgracegirls #blogwithheart #melissaanddougtoys {These paint with water books are from @melissaanddougtoys and are great quality and super fun!}

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After dinner tonight, I was busy in the kitchen cleaning up, my boys were in the living room with my husband, running crazy, playing ninjas with their masks on. I had on Pandora, trying to squeeze in a little time with God in the middle of the chaos, and the song "You are Good" by @karijobe came on, and it brought back a ton of memories. Still brings me to tears when I hear it.

I was about 14-15 weeks pregnant with the boys, and we had just announced to the world we were pregnant with twins. I had waited as long as I could to tell, but I was starting to show, and I couldn't really hide it. Putting out there felt like such a big risk.
I was still struggling a lot with fear and anxiety over all of this. After 2 losses and a whole mess of #infertility issues, I just couldn't believe that this pregnancy would actually take, that this one wouldn't end in a #miscarriage like the others. I was scared to let myself be excited. I didn't even want to buy maternity clothes, just in case this pregnancy wasn't going to make it.

I wanted to believe that God had given us our #rainbowbabies, but you know, it doesn't always sink in so easily into your heart.
One morning when I was getting ready for work - it was super-early and I was ironing my clothes in the walk-in closet so I wouldn't wake up my husband - I had Pandora on, and this song by Kari Jobe came on. And I just began to sob. I felt God's presence with me so strongly in that little closet, and I just knew He was reassuring me of His goodness and that my babies would be OK.

I'm not gonna say I never felt fear or anxiety through the rest of my pregnancy, but I played that song over my belly just about every day, declaring the goodness of God. I sang it over my boys after they were born. It was one of those songs where I could barely finish the rest because I was so choked up.

And 5 years later, I'm hearing this song again, and I'm seeing the goodness of God physically manifested in the form of 2 little ninjas running circles around the house.

So what I want to share with you is just to encourage you about the goodness of God in your life.
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Continued in comments...

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International Wave of Light ... 2 candles for our 2 sweet babies we lost. Gone too soon but never forgotten.
Big hugs and prayers for moms and dads remembering their little ones tonight. They will always be remembered.
#internationwaveoflight #pregnancyandinfantlossawareness #1in4 #neverforgotten #miscarriage #stillbirth #infantloss #hisgracegirls #blogwithheart

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Important to note:
1. After sweating it out all summer, Michael's wardrobe and the weather have synchronized, and his commitment to wearing long sleeves is finally seasonally appropriate. (Also to be noted- it's an actual SHIRT, not pajama top. 🙌). 2. James, always having been seasonally appropriate, wore long sleeves today too, thus confusing their teachers at preschool.
3. This is the first walk we've taken together in almost a year since we gave up the stroller. Typically reluctant to use their actual feet to get around and wanting to be pushed, today they humored their mom and actually walked, even if it was just down the block.
4. While I was initially super impressed at the cleverness of my sons when they picked up leaves on the ground and said they were secret notes with hidden treasures maps, I was quickly brought back to earth when they told me the note said, 'Your quest will begin at Walmart and Target. In the toy department." 🤦‍♀️ Either, fall has finally come to East TN, and mom and sons are both pretty happy about it. 😉🙌 #fall #leaves #fallwalks #naturewalks #preschoolers #twinbrothers #idtwins #boymom #twinmom #momblogger #lifestyleblogger #tennesseefall #tennessee #easttennessee #blogwithheart #hisgracegirls

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There’s a song by @codycarnes that’s been out for a while now (so I’ve discovered), but it’s new to me & I heard it for the 1st time last weekend while driving. You know when a song has a line or 2 that echos in your head?
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“My heart needs a surgeon
My soul needs a friend
So I’ll run to the Father
Again & again & again & again”
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I’ve been thinking about friendship lately (see yesterday’s post) & been pondering how hard it is, at this age (mid-40s), to make friends from scratch. You have so much history of your life behind you, all these things about your existence that new friends don’t know - good & bad. It just takes a long time to have friends that know your soul, you know? That get you, without a lot of explanation. Kindred spirits, for any AOGG fans.
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But this song really brought a lot of comfort to my heart to know that Jesus isn’t just “a friend,” but He’s one of “those friends,” - a friend for your soul, who knows your history, weirdness, weaknesses, hang-ups, imperfections - instantly understands you & knows what you're all about- & still considers you His close friend. On a soul level.
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You don’t need to do all the front-work of friendship when it comes to Him. He can just instantly be your bff. Sure, the relationship grows & gets closer, but there’s no awkward beginning stage.
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And I love that He’s not just a friend but everything else. Like all the names of God the Bible describes: Provider. Our Peace. Our Righteousness. Our Healer. Shepherd. The God Who Sees...and on it goes.
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That’s why He’s the perfect friend: He’s all in one. Everything we need. All the time (which no one else can ever be anyway). And it’s why we can keep running to Him again. And again. And again. For every single need. {And He won’t ignore your texts if (when?) you’re too much.}
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You might have the ‘friends’ box checked off, but my guess is that there are other boxes you need Him for. Me, too.
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So good to know we can run to Him for all of them.
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Video of song in Stories
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(Picture circa 2000? 2001? This was after we’d just gotten matching tattoos down in Ybor City in Tampa: the Chinese symbol for ‘friend’ - or it could be ‘broccoli’. We’re still not really sure. 🤷‍♀️

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"Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival." CS Lewis
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This quote has popped into my mind in the past few weeks. I’ve had a lot of time to reflect on this whole idea of friendship lately. Now that we're sort of out of the survival mode of toddlerhood, selling our house, buying a house & settling into a whole new life & normal, that empty space that my friends from NY occupied is feeling a little more vacant.
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When you’re just surviving, you’re just trying to keep your head above water (and of course, friends totally help with that). But once there’s space in your life beyond survival, you kind of feel the lack of friends in a whole new way.
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We had friends from NY who were in town this week & came over for dinner. It was so nice to be cooking & setting my table & knowing that friends would filling those chairs.
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The boys still keep me crazy busy & demand a ton of my attention, but not having close friends to fill the gaps is more noticeable these days.
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I’ve been really fortunate to have always had really, really great friends in my life - from middle school to high school to college to post-college when I was in youth ministry to teaching. God always provided amazing friends.
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I know that God designed us for friendships, so I know God has my people for me here in Tennessee. At the same time, I know even when I don’t have those human friends nearby, He is a friend who sticks closer than a brother (or sister 😉). And I'm getting to know Him in a whole new way. And that is always a good thing.
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But more on that tomorrow… 😊
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#friends #friendshipquotes #fellowship #cslewis #cslewisquotes #closerthanabrother #hisgracegirls #blogwithheart

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In trying to keep up with clean eating after doing @drkatieharney 30 Day Dollar Clean Eating challenge, I made this for breakfast yesterday - and it’s perfect for fall: pumpkin pie smoothie. 🎃
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Even after the challenge, Dr. Katie occasionally sends out some emails with other recipes, and this one I couldn’t wait to try.
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I just made a few tweaks to it, and it was delicious and very filling. Kept me full well into the afternoon. .
This is all you need:

⅓ cup 100% pureed pumpkin
⅓ cup coconut cream
1 frozen banana
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

The original recipe calls for 1 tsp raw honey, but I skipped that. You can also add some ice cubes to thicken it up, but I found that by including the coconut cream, the consistency was just right.
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Blend together, sprinkle a little cinnamon on top and some pecans as well if you want, and you’re good to go!
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This one is definitely going in the ‘frequently made’ files. 😊
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#pumpkinpie #recipe #pumpkinpiespice #pumpkin #pumpkinsmoothie #smoothie #cleaneating #healthyeating #healthylifestyle #momblogger #lifestyleblogger #blogwithheart #hisgracegirls

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New on the blog!🙌
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So one of the great things about being a SAHM (besides having a front-row seat to my boys’ early childhood - that goes without saying) is that, because we are living on essentially one income, it’s really pushed me to be more creative.
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Instead of just going out and buying things I’d like, I’ve been forced to think about what I already have at home, what I can upcycle and repurpose, and what I can just make myself.🤔
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I’m no pro at DIY, but I’ve had to dabble a bit in it, especially since our move and trying to make our new house a home. 🏘
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The outcomes aren’t always professional, but there’s a sense of pride in knowing you’ve made something with your own hands, you’ve saved money, and you’ve exercised some self-control in not just putting something you want on a credit card. 👏👏
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And I honestly like how it’s rewiring my brain to be a little more creative - not just in DIY but in problem-solving in general.
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So this is my latest - it’s a DIY neutral-colored rag wreath. I saw a similar one on Pinterest and adapted it just bit. It’s really easy and very cheap to make.
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You really can customize it and embellish it for just about any season - looks great indoors or outdoors, and it goes great with farmhouse, shabby chic or boho decor!
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And for me, it’s a template for future wreaths (and rag banners, too!) to create with a bunch of different fabrics I have laying around the house that I want to experiment with.
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If you’re looking to stretch your creativity skills, this is an easy one to start with! Link in profiles @100affections!

#diy #wreath #fallwreath #farmhouse #shabbychic #boho #creativity #SAHMlife #homedecor #farmhousedecor #fallporch #ragwreath #neutralcolored #neutraldecor #neutralfalldecor #momblogger #lifestyleblogger #hisgracegirls #blogwithheart #housetohome

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Today was one of those really hard mom days. We're on week TWO of fall break (yes, 2), after Daddy being home sick last week (so basically 3 children in the house). .
I'd been flying solo, with the boys home all day, every day, with work I have to get done, and a million interruptions for important things, like walking them to the bathroom bc they're scared of the box at the end of the hallway (that they run past every day.)🤷🏻‍♀️🤬
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By lunch, Michael had been whining for about 5 hrs, 50% bc of what James was doing & the other 50 bc of the 47 billion Legos he'd dumped on the floor and now couldn't pick up. .
Then, there were full on hysterics that could rival an Italian funeral when I told them no TV til they cleaned up. 😩
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I could see the writing on the wall for how the rest of the day would go if we didn't get out of the house. It would not end well - & I clearly wasn't getting any work done today anyway.
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Well, it wasn't 90 degrees anymore, but it was raining - so still no outside options. Chick Fil A play area was out bc I knew every Mom in town about to lose it during this 2nd agonizing week of fall break would be there too.
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I had a return to make at Home Depot and they had already sucked the creative inspiration from my soul, so Home Depot it was.
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Surprisingly enough, @homedepot is kinda a hidden gem for desperate moms of little boys. I let them shake their booty down the double-wides aisles, full-on sprint through the garden section, pet the tractors and play on the floor with the Christmas Jack in the boxes for a full 30 minutes like we were at FAO Schwartz.
I'm sure we were every employees' nightmare today, but Home Depot, you really helped out a desperate mom today. 🙌🙏
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And if you're a mom of little boys (or girls), you might wanna tuck Home Depot in your back pocket for a rainy day.
#desperatemom #homedepot #rainyday #momlife #realmomlife #boymom #twinmom #IDtwins #twinbrothers #brothers #johndeeretractor #momblogger #lifestyleblogger #blogwithheart #hisgracegirls

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The 1st pics are from August at the @westtownmall in Knoxville. It’s about a year-to-the-day from the pictures after, which was maybe a week after we moved to TN. The mall was comforting to me in a weird way - there were so many new things to get used to here, & a mall is just kinda familiar. A mall is a mall, no matter where you live.
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I’d done a ton of mall walking with my boys back in NY - being there with them helped me feel a little less displaced. I didn’t know a soul besides my in-laws & 1 friend from NY who lived here. We didn’t know where we’d be living. My husband was still interviewing for jobs. All the pieces of our lives were up in the air, and I was just waiting for them to land. The mall was as good a place as any to pass the time, right?
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Moving is stressful no matter how you look at it, and so is having 3-year-olds. But when you mix them together & double the number of toddlers, well, it was hard. Really hard. Even though it was leading up to very good things in our lives.
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I remember my mom telling me, “Think about next year. Think about where you’ll be a year from now. Things will look so much different, and things will be better.”
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Well, this picture is about a year later - the 1st at the mall since that day. .
And things DO look a lot different. Besides the most obvious (to me) - the 1st time in the mall w/o a stroller - the boys are 4 - MUCH easier to manage. So many things in TN feel as familiar as the mall. We have a house, the boys are in school & love it, my husband’s job is a great fit for him, & I have a few #s of moms I can text for playdates.
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We all really feel like it’s home for us.
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We have a few other really stressful things going on right now, & this was a good reminder to me of how much can change in a year. God was faithful then, He’d been faithful before, & He will still be faithful. We don’t always know the changes that are around the corner, but knowing God assures us it’s something ultimately good, however it looks now or later.
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Continued in comments....

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These 2 look pretty similar, right?
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Any guesses which one made it into my coffee???
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I was half way through my cup before I started wondering why my coffee kinda tasted like tacos. 🤷‍♀️🤦‍♀️
Ps- #tacocoffee should NOT be a thing. 😂😩
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#coffee #cinnamon #cumin #tiredmom #reallife #momblogger #lifestyleblogger #hisgracegirls #blogwithheart

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I know yesterday was the 1st day of fall 🍁, but we’ve got a week in the 90s coming up ☀️🔥, so it’s hard to feel fall-ish when I’m still in shorts and flip-flops. Doesn’t matter - I’m doing the fall decorating, the baking of apple and pumpkin treats and pretending I don’t have the A/C cranked. 🎃 .
We just got back from our ‘summer vacation’ to Florida this weekend - a visit to see my parents and grandparents. My grandparents are both going strong in their 90s, but every time the boys get to see their great-grandparents, we know it’s a very special experience. 💕
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We had a great time, but it’s so good to come home - not just come home but FEEL like we were home. The boys were SO excited to get back our town, so excited when we turned down our street and they saw our house🏡 😍🥰And as a parent, that’s an amazing feeling to know that your kids feel safe and secure at home, especially after all the drama we’ve had with selling our house in NY and moving to TN, the past 2 years.
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Now, we’re pretty much ready to hunker down for the season, and I’m ready to settle into some kind of a routine again and get back to business. I’ll be sharing all the fall stuff going on around here too.
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Here are some highlights! Happy Fall! Finally!

#florida #delraybeach #family #vacation #endlesssummer #grandparents #greatgrandparents #twinbrothers #idtwins #boymom #twinmom #blogwithheart
@downtowndelray @deck84_delray @berkshirebythesea

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Kate Landry | A Hundred Affections is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

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