Archives for January 2022

We Bought an RV!

January 15, 2022 Leave a Comment

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We announced last week that we (very bittersweetly) closed on the sale of our family home (more on that HERE). Well, are you guys ready??

The BIG Reveal! Our new house-on-wheels arrived in Western Carolina earlier this week, and we are beyond excited to make it our home. We made the decision for our family to pursue less, embrace tiny living and experience all that our area has to offer. My husband and I, our two baby girls, our cat and our lab will all be moving into this space and traveling around western North Carolina (And maybe Tennessee and Georgia, too).

We will be doing full renovations and cannot wait to show you guys the after. Enjoy this little before and make sure you follow our journey on Instagram!

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A post shared by Katie Lee (@kisses.and.caffeine)

We have big plans! Residential farmhouse sink, butcher block countertops, cozy sofa, shiplap, paint, new light fixtures… It is going to be the perfect tiny home!

We will be changing up the fridge to a more residential one as well, and likely making changes to the stove/microwave set up.

The booth dinette is coming out and we are building a custom one at the other end of the kitchen.

Those dated valences and wood trim are already on their way out, too.

Our girls have their own room, which we are converting and I am so dang excited to show you guys this one! It is probably the most exciting space flip I have planned!

The bathroom is getting a total update as well!

Our master has a queen bed in it now, but we are switching it out for a residential king!

There’s even a washer and dryer behind those closet doors! More on that to come.

I hope you enjoyed your mini tour! We can’t wait to show you the final product!

You are Not Alone, Mama

January 12, 2022 Leave a Comment

Motherhood is such sanctifying work. I am humbled daily at the amount-or lack of- patience that I have. The truth is, I struggle most days. I mess up. I lose my temper. I am not as gracious as I need to be. And some days I am overwhelmed by the weight of trying to raise good humans (that redhead, y’all…).

But the Holy Spirit has been speaking a truth into me this week that I have been making my prayer. We are not alone in this sanctifying work. In fact, God has placed our children in our homes and lives to bring us to our knees. We cannot do it well when we operate in our own strength. We have to daily invite the Holy Spirit into our relationship with our children. We have to allow Him to parent us and guide us as we parent them. Will that mean no hard days? Of course not! But it will give us access to a peace and strength that is beyond ourselves. “Jesus, guide and parent me as I guide and parent them.”

Before you go, check out my favorite meal planning mom hack! SO worth it!

It’s a Blackstone Griddle Fiesta!

January 11, 2022 Leave a Comment

Let’s be friends! Connect with me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest!

If you’ve been around for long, you know Michael and I are obsessed with our Blackstone Griddle. (Which by the way, if you don’t have one, Walmart consistently has the best prices on them!). Our round-up of our favorite Blackstone recipes has been viral on Pinterest for months! You may or may not also know, we are Mexican food addicts. So naturally, after doing a Blackstone Breakfast Round-up, we simply HAD to share some of the best Mexican dishes you can griddle up to take Taco Tuesday to a whole new level! From fajitas to tacos, side dishes and even copy-cats from your favorite restaurants, scroll on for some of the best recipes you can griddle up!

*After we moved to live full time in an RV, we switched to a 22″ Tabletop Blackstone. We grabbed this super handy stand for it that we love! It is perfect for on-the-go because it folds down totally flat. It sets up in minutes and fits perfectly inside of the basement of our rig when we aren’t using it. I 10 out of 10 recommend! The shelves alone make it worthwhile!

First up, the most simple but easily most delicious tacos you have ever eaten! Griddle Beef Tacos are the best tacos because the flavor is packed into every single bite! If you haven’t, you have to try these ASAP.

Any time we eat at our favorite local Mexican joint, Fajitas are my dish of choice! Something about the charred peppers just does it for me! My favorite Blackstone Blog, Or Whatever You Do, has a fantastic Steak Fajita recipe! You can really easily sub in chicken, too!

If seafood is your thing, try these yummy Shrimp Fajitas!

Grilled burritos are so good! No matter what you choose to put inside, the crispy shell on the outside is perfection! These are super easy to do on your Blackstone, too. Check this recipe for an easy tutorial!

Chalupas are one of the best items on the Taco Bell Menu. Fight me on it! Now, thanks to this super easy and delicious recipe, you can make your own at home! The Blackstone Taco Rack is super versatile, too. Check out our Breakfast Round-up for another recipe or two using it!

While we are copy-catting Taco Bell, you absolutely have to try the Crunchwrap Supreme! They are so easy and so delicious. I honestly like the homemade version better (who doesn’t?!). Recipe here!

Andddd you must try the Mexican Pizza on The Blackstone! No more missing out. You can make it at home! Recipe here!

There’s not much that hits a Mexican craving quite like a good quesadilla! Nevermind the fact that they are literally the quickest dinner you can whip up! As a meal-prep tip, you can totally have fillings made up and ready to go for a fast griddle-and-eat meal during busy weeknights! They are also a great way to use up leftover pot roast, chicken breast, BBQ and more. These yummy Steak Quesadillas from Or Whatever You Do are seriously bangin’!

Blackstone wraps are all the rage right now. These taco wraps are packed with flavor and come together in minutes!

Want something a little healthier? These Taco Stuffed Bell Peppers will hit the spot! Super yum and low carb!

Mexican Street Corn is one of my favorite side dishes! I absolutely love Or Whatever You Do’s Street corn recipe! The best part? It uses frozen corn, so you can whip this delish dish up year-round!

Did you know you can make Mexican Fried Rice on your Blackstone?? We didn’t either until recently. But you guys, it’s so good and so easy! Check out the recipe here.

While this isn’t specifically a Blackstone recipe, our Charred Corn fiesta dip is really simple and the perfect side dish! Just add everything else to the bowl, char your corn on The Blackstone and dig in!

There you have it! A few of our favorite Mexican Blackstone Griddle fiesta recipes, all in one convenient spot! Which are you trying first??

When One Door Closes: A Life Update

January 8, 2022 Leave a Comment

Today we sold our family home.

The picture above is from today. The one below is the day we bought it.

A lot has changed between these two photos, but let me tell you a story about God’s faithfulness:

We found this home on Craigslist. We fell in love with it before we even went inside. We called and made an offer pretty much right away. We were the THIRD backup offer. Our realtor showed us other houses, convinced we wouldn’t get it. We knew this was meant to be our home and we chose to trust God. We anointed the house with oil and prayed over it. One by one, the previous contracts fell through. The Lord gave us this house, and boy did He sure make it our home.

The girl in that day 1 picture was struggling. I knew I was born to be a mama, but we were having major fertility issues. For over a year, I sat In the empty “nursery” and mourned. I prayed and poured out my heart to God once again for the desires of my heart. Looking at this picture from today fills me with so much emotion. Not only did he give us one, but two precious little loves. We brought them home here. We spent many sleepless nights here. We watched them crawl and take their first steps here. We ran up and down the ridge. We marked those walls with love. Every scratch on the floor or ding in the paint was evidence that we did life in this house.

Addie and I were both very emotional leaving this morning. It was a bittersweet goodbye for sure. But I take so much comfort in carrying the memories with us forever. Thank you for letting us love you for the last 6.5 years, house.

We are so excited for what is next and the special family time that we will have. Stay tuned! We have tons to share!