Team Douglas Moves: Kitchen // Before

Happy first day of Fall, friends! And welcome to the first of many installments of "Team Douglas Moves" (you can check out our Instagram hashtag here). This week has been exhausting (is it the weekend yet?!) and I can say with certainty that I have never done this much cleaning in one stretch in my life! But I can also say that I am so incredibly grateful for the wonderful family and friends that have come over and poured their blood, sweat, and tears into the place already (ok, maybe just sweat...). I seriously would be crying in the middle of the dirty floor if it weren't for them, so thank you to each of you who has scrubbed, steamed, wiped, and inhaled lots of cleaning chemicals along the way. 

Today I wanted to share with you a few before photos of the kitchen. This room was a pretty big selling point for us. After living in our 4-plex apartment for a year, there were 3 things we really wanted in a kitchen:

• Windows
• A space to sit and eat in the kitchen
• More space (especially counter space) 

This kitchen has given us all of that! There are two windows that let light stream in (no more depressing florescent lighting!), plenty of space for a table and couple of chairs, and the room is huge. We are hoping to find some kind of an island for the middle of the room for even more storage and counter space. The long counter on this wall makes me SO happy! We've been using a small chunk of counter for the past year and have used our stove as a counter multiple times!

We are hoping to put up some open shelving on this big wall above the sink. It's just asking for it, dontchya think? :)

Thanks for stopping by and taking a peak into our kitchen! I can't wait until there's some more plant life, a rug on the floor, some pretty shelving, and all those other lovely little touches that make a house a home and a kitchen oh-so-cozy!

One Year Staycation

Yesterday marked one year of being married to Loverboy. 365 days, 52 weeks, 12 months, one year. And it feels like just yesterday that we were standing at the altar, shivering as we read each other our vows on that chilly but beautifully bright day.

We had gone back and forth on how we wanted to spend our first anniversary, with thoughts of a nearby Bed & Breakfast or AirBnB. We even tossed around the idea of going to NYC or Washington D.C. for the weekend when Frontier flights were so cheap. But we eventually landed on staying home and enjoying a relaxing staycation. And I am SO glad that we did! We had just come off a series of busy out-of-town weekends, and staying home was just what we needed! So here's a glimpse at what we did, along with our recommendations for your very own staycation!

Friday night we enjoyed sushi happy hour at Wakame Sushi & Asian Bistro. This is the best sushi happy hour in the Cities, in my humble opinion. The selection is amazing, the atmosphere warm, and the prices affordable. We especially loved the Tootsie Roll (the middle crispy-looking roll in the middle of the plate).

After happy hour we headed to the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA). We enjoyed perusing through the maze of paintings, sculptures, artifacts, and other pieces of art. Since it was a Friday night, there were only a few other people there, so it felt like we had the place to ourselves! Saturday morning we slept in and then headed to Colossal Cafe in St. Paul for a crazy-filling brunch. We shared the Spinach Artichoke Feta Frittata and the Apple Walnut Brie Flappers. Both dishes were amazing and we got out of there in under $20! Score!

After brunch we headed to the Science Museum. It was a blast watching Brian get into all the experiments and explain the science behind each one to me. The museum is currently switching their special exhibits and the omnitheatre was also closed, so we had yet another place mostly to ourselves. It was nice to enjoy the museum without the crowds. 

Sunday we went to Fogo de Chao for lunch, which was something that Brian was really looking forward to. Seeing as I'm not the biggest fan of meat, a Brazilian steakhouse wasn't quite as exciting to me, but the sides and salad bar were amazing! We did some shopping around Downtown and Uptown, then headed to a park to toss around some styrofoam airplanes I got at the Dollar Tree. We spent the rest of Sunday relaxing and going in and out of food comas. :) The weekend was the perfect mix of delicious food, relaxation, and exploration. We both got to experience new things and still enjoy our tried and true favorites. So there you have it! Some amazing restaurants to try out, as well as a couple museums that are fun to peruse through.Happy one year, babe. It's been an awesome adventure, and I'm excited to see what year two brings!

Fall Goals

Well, it may have been balmy last week, but the cooler Fall air is certainly here this week! I'm sure it will fluctuate back and forth before really settling into Fall, but the cooler temps have got me thinking toward this next season. As you may know, I'm a bit of a planner. I like lists and to-dos and goals. So every season or so I try to make a list of measurable, (hopefully) achievable goals.

I never really got around to it this summer, but maybe that's because summers are still a bit carefree and loose in my mind. But Fall... Fall brings back memories of back-to-school shopping, prepping for classes, and getting back into work mode. So it's only natural that making a list of goals feels like such a Fall-y thing to do. :) So without further ado...

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September–November Goals

1. Finish The White Umbrella & When Helping Hurts
2. Purge our belongings while we're packing to move... have less stuff when we get to our new place
3. Attend at least 2 Anti-trafficking events (outside of BASE events that we plan)
4. Host at least twice
5. Read Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon (total of 42 chapters... so about one chapter every 2 days. Should be doable!)
6. Complete 2 DIY projects

What's on your list to accomplish this Fall? Are you looking forward to getting some projects done? Or maybe you have a book you really want to read. Whatever it is... I'd love to hear it!

P.S. You can see last year's Fall goals here.

Interior Inspiration: 5 Swoon-worthy Spaces

Happy Friday, ya'll! (Apparently I'm channeling my inner southern gal today.) Seeing as we're moving soon (if you didn't see the announcement on instagram, check it out, and follow me... shameless plug!), all things home decor have been on my mind lately. The thought of having more space and a new layout is so appealing and I can't wait to get in there and have some fun. So I thought I would share some of the spaces that have been inspiring me lately as I've been dreaming about our new place. 

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The light fixture, the basket, the rug, the lucite table that you can hardly tell is there... I love it all! Bring on a beautiful entryway! But this entryway isn't just beautiful... it's also functional! A place to sit, somewhere to corral your keys, and some extra storage. What's not to love?

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I adore the bright and airy simplicity of this living room. The use of color and texture is awesome and definitely inspires me to get a little bit bolder in my choice of both. I'm also a major fan of the bamboo roman shades and definitely need to look into that for window coverings in our new place.

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This bright living and dining space has a couple crucial pieces that I love—plants, beautiful moulding, and fun seating. Plus those floor-to-ceiling windows are to die for!

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I cannot sing the praises of this kitchen enough! It's the perfect blend of bright color and white, with a bit of natural thrown in. I think I would love doing dishes at that huge sink looking out that stunning blue-framed window. Although open shelving in the kitchen is a bit controversial for practical reasons, I think everybody can agree that it looks beautiful... and this kitchen is no exception!

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I love the black and white going on with the bed, and the warm tones in the rug and tables just makes this bedroom look so cozy. The simplicity is great... and I definitely want to try and incorporate 'simple' more into our new home.

So there you have it! Five spaces that I've totally been drooling over. Obviously, a lot of these spaces are the actual home themselves, but the general feeling and decor can be brought into any space... and I hope to bring them into ours! Do you have any spaces that you've been adoring lately?

Have a great weekend, friends!

When Anxiety Gets the Best of You

I'm not normally one who is burdened with excessive amounts of anxiety. I'm usually a pretty happy-go-lucky, we'll-cross-that-bridge-when-we-get-there kinda gal. But there are times—hours, days, weeks, seasons—that I find myself overcome with anxiety. And this past week just so happened to be one of them.

You see, these past few months have felt a bit like limbo. Nothing too extreme was happening in our lives, there wasn't much change, and we were waiting on what felt like a hundred things that just needed time. 

And then this week happened. Let's just say that each day has brought about some big change, decision, or stressor—from overseas trips, to housing situations, to future career goals, to phone calls with pharmacists and doctors—it's been one crazy week.

But it's also been one wonderful week. I have seen God answer our repeated prayers from the last months. I have seen Him provide. I have felt His comfort and peace as I have cried out to Him for guidance and strength.

I was again reminded that God is the only one who can give complete peace amidst anxiety-inducing circumstances. I was ushered into His presence where I experienced His grace. He did not leave me alone. He was right there, guiding, comforting, speaking words of truth and wisdom. All I had to do was ask.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

—Philippians 4:6–7

God can guard our hearts and our minds against anxiety, if only we ask Him, if only we lay before Him our desires, fears, anxieties, requests, longings. When we give it all to Him, He gives to us, in return, His peace, which surpasses all understanding. That's a pretty good trade, if you ask me.

So if you're starting to feel that anxiety creep in—that feeling of tightness in your chest, or shortness of breath, or being on the verge of tears—turn to Him! Turn to the only one who can fully remove that anxiety and replace it with unspeakable peace.

Changing our Habits: 30 Days of Eating Healthy

This past week Loverboy and I decided to start a very loose interpretation of Whole30... and when I say very loose, I mean ver-er-errrryyyy loose. Like, we're still eating dairy (gasp!). And salad dressing (say it ain't so!). And peanut butter (noooooo!). Ok, I probably shouldn't even call it a loose interpretation of Whole30. Whoever started Whole30 is probably rolling over in their grave. Except I'm sure they're still alive because they eat so dang healthy. Anywho...

We ARE staying away from mass quantities of sugar (read: any sweets, dessert, chocolate, candy, or anything with abhorrent amounts of added sugar) and carbs/grain stuffs (I'm not a nutritionist so I don't know the real way to say that, but basically no bread, pasta, couscous, aforementioned yummies like cake and cookies, cereal, pizza, breaded anything, and other things that make the sun shine and the butterflies dance). We're doing this because we (especially me) really love our sugars and carbs just a little too much. And by a little, I mean a lottle. 

We do however, have the right to decide we are going to cheat a little, but only for special occasions or when other people are feeding us. Not when we are sitting on the couch at home after work.

So, we're 5 days in to this 30 day thing... 1/6 of the way there! And it's been pretty decent overall. I've been enjoying eggs and cheese with fruit for breakfast, and we've learned that potatoes are actually a pretty good substitution for pasta. ("But HOW do we have shrimp and asparagus without PASTA?!" We figured it out... drama averted.)

I'm excited to see how the month goes, how we're feeling, if we decide to stick with some of our new habits and integrate them into our normal, everyday diet. So far I haven't felt too tempted (and in fact have even felt relief that I have an excuse to not grab that piece of cake at work). I feel like the past year or so I have filled my body with so much junk, so it feels good to have a little self-control (I might be singing a different tune in a couple weeks!).So if you have any good recipes for me, please pass them my way. And let me know if you've ever tried going sugar/grain free, and if so, how it went. Or if you were REALLY brave and actually did the Whole30. :)

10 Organizations Fighting for Justice to Follow on Facebook

There's always so much talk about how Facebook can be detrimental... causing us to judge, compare, throw pity-parties, or find reason to complain. But what if we started to use Facebook as a means to learn more about a specific topic? As a way to educate ourselves and get connected to meaningful work around the globe? I've been trying it out the last couple months and it's been BOMB.



I decided to "like" a bunch of pages on Facebook of organizations that are fighting human trafficking. I figured it could be cool to stay up to date on what's happening in the anti-trafficking world, and since I'm on Facebook a decent amount of time, why not throw some good stuff in there?

So if you like seeing inspirational/motivational/convicting/informational/educational little photos, along with articles, news stories, blog posts and more that all have to do with anti-trafficking and justice, then I've got some sweet Facebook pages for you to "like." 

1. Exodus Cry
2. International Justice Mission
3. Tiny Hands International
4. The CNN Freedom Project
5. Truckers Against Trafficking
6. Stop the Traffik
7. A21
8. Not For Sale
9. Love 146
10. The Justice Conference

And a little bonus for you... we're just getting started, but check out the new ministry that Loverboy and I are helping lead at our church: Bethlehem Against Sexual Exploitation