God Put Something On My Heart

For a few months now I feel God has put something in my heart to somehow giveback to the community, but I was never sure just what. I prayed about it a lot. A few weeks ago I was sitting in church reading the bulletin and something just jumped out to me. A Heart for the Hungry. Our church's food pantry was empty. The pantry that used to feed hundreds of families, now, there’s a sign on the door that says “Sorry, there are no food bags available at this time.”

That was it! That’s what my heart wanted to do. Fill those pantry shelves until they’re overflowing! Could I do this alone? No. I needed help. I had this idea of having a table set up in front of a local grocery stores collecting non-perishable food donations, a Food Drive. But I wanted to do more . My idea grew to wanting a table set up in front of every single grocery store in the area, all at the same time. Crazy? I thought so at first. Man, did I pray about it again and again. Slowly, things started to fall into place. Once I started looking for volunteers, they started pouring out of the wood work. Even random strangers that heard of the event asked if they could help out. We ended up with over 25 people helping this little BIG dream come to reality.

My vision came to life. This was my weekend.

{and this isn't everyone!}

We decorated the food donation barrels {10 of them which were donated with a value of $50 each!}, rented the U-Haul truck, gathered our amazing volunteers and headed out!

The day called for rain. We didn't get sprinkled on, it was an all out downpour. As soon as each table was set up, the sky's flood gates opened and I hadn't seen rain like that in ages. Everyone was soaked. But was that going to stop us? No way. We were determined! And it didn't stop people from giving. We had a few people even wheel out a cart full of groceries and just leave it next to our bins. The entire cart fulls were for the Food Drive! I didn't know what to say. Thank you just didn't seem like enough but was all I could say. It made me really emotional. People have such good hearts. The world has put such a dark cloud over humanity, but it's not true. Most people want to give out of the goodness of their hearts. They want to help others. And it showed this very day.

We ended the day with each of our barrels filled to the brim and food bags all around each table. The church's food pantry was so packed the door wouldn't close. This was all God's doing. It started as a thought God had placed on my heart, ended up feeding dozens {even hundreds maybe} of low-income families.

This was such a eye opening experience I just can't wait to do it again. I encourage each and everyone of you to find a way to give back to the community. There's so much out there that needs help and it takes so little to made a huge impact on someones life.

In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35

Guest: Summer from Made by Munchie's Mama

My name is Summer and I am the all over the place mama behind Made By Munchie's Mama. I work, I wife, I mama and occasionally I am just Summer. I have 2 little boys: Munchie who is 2 aka Gavin and Dylie Bear who is 7 months aka Dylan.  

My hubby and I are just like every other couple: struggling to find the work, parent, spouse balance and taking things one day at a time.  On my blog you will find me writing about fights I have with my hubby, mama guilt, what I wear on Wednesdays, and stuff they don't tell you about parenthood before you get pregnant.  I also throw a good ole' tutorial around every now and then.

One of my new favorite things to do is re-purpose items.  It's an inexpensive way to spruce up your house on a limited budget.  Here are some creative ideas that I am excited to try!

Source

Door used as a table

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Wash bin used as an ottoman

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Picture frame used as a tray

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Vintage suitcase used as a chair

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Pill organizer used as a craft supply organizer

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Drawer used as a ribbon holder

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Vintage drawer knobs used as a purse hanger

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Truck springs used as stools

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Dresser used as a vanity

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Cabinet used as a shoe organizer

 

BLOG * FACEBOOK * SHOP * TWITTER

Ultimate Blog Party

Have you heard about the Ultimate Blog Party?  I hadn't heard a word, but thanks to Summer from Made By Munchie's Mama, now I know!  
If you haven’t seen this before, it is a online party where a bunch of bloggers link together to find new blogs and hopefully make a few new friends!  It is amazing to see how many blogs link up each year. Last year there were over 3000 link up's! Crazy hua?  Its great because there is no pressure or timeline, just a bunch of blogs posted to browse through and visit!

Now you know! Link up and get to know some great new bloggers!

In case this is your first time visiting, here's a little about me. My name is Laura and I'm the one behind Our Reflection. I’m a full-time working mom of two amazing daughters {14 & 6} and an admirable, encouraging husband who are my life. I am, regrettably, a bit addicted to social media. I have a constant connection Facebook and Twitter wherever I am. I love Starbucks, the colors pink and yellow, mountain biking, and listening to the piano. 

When I’m not working my 8-5 or being “mommy”, I’m a lifestyle photographer based out of Monterey, California. In my mind, I am ALWAYS thinking about photography. It never ends. My brain takes snapshots everywhere I go. 

Blog  | Facebook  |  Twitter 

Calling all Southern California area bloggers. On June 9th, spend the day with at the Elevate Blog Conference! You don't want to miss this! Click here for details! 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Shadows

Welcome to this weeks photo challenge "Shadows."

This weeks theme chosen by  Rachel Lauren Photography.

A 1st, 2nd & 3rd place winner will be chosen by a guest judge.

"Shadows" April 9-15, 2012

Photo by Laura Hernandez Photography

All photo challenge submissions are eligible to win.

1st Place PRIZE

2nd Place PRIZE

3rd Place PRIZE

Here's how to enter:

• Created a post on your blog and include ONE photo submission for this challenge.
• Include the Our Reflection Photo Button 
• You can also link through your Facebook, Flickr, Pinterest, etc., Just be sure you include the link www.our-reflection.blogspot.com within your post.
• Submit the link to your post using the InLinkz button below. You must submit the actual photo link {permalink}, not just your website URL. 
• You can submit your photo at any time during the challenge. The deadline for this weeks submission is  Sunday, April 15th, 2012 at 11:59pm {PST}. 

Please remember to follow your host via GFC, Bloglovin, Hellocotton & email.

We ask if you enter the photo challenge, please leave a comment for at least 3 other submissions.

Don't be shy! It's a great way to meet new people.

Spread the word! Grab a button and add it to your blog.

Tweet or Facebook about the link up.

<div align="center"><a href="http://our-reflection.blogspot.com/" title="Our Reflection Photo Challenge"><img src="http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g383/_laurahernandez/photochallenge-2.jpg" alt="Our Reflection Photo Challenge" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Prizes will be mailed to U.S. Residents only {unless winner wants to pay  postage}.

Winners will be contacted via email. Check back here next week to see who won.

Giveaway ends at midnight on April 15th.

Interested in being a guest judge?
Email me at momsgonnasnap@gmail.com

Meet & Tweet Twitter Hop + GIVEAWAY!

Last weeks Meet & Tweet was a HUGE success!

It's official this will be a weekly Hop.

Follow your host:

Laura @ Our Reflection

This week's co-hosts are:

Colleen @ Paisley Boulevard

Brenna @ My Beautiful Crazy Life

Kristin @ Tales From the Nook

Melanie @ Bear Rabbit Bear

Ellie @ The Ellie Life

Karistina @ From City Corporate to Suburb Mama

The Rules

1. Follow your hosts

{They are the first 7 in the linky.}

2. Follow at least 3 new people via Twitter

{Or more! Introduce yourself... Its a great way to make new friends!}

3. Spread the word!

{The more the merrier! Grab a button and add it to your blog, 

Tweet or Facebook about the link up.}

<div align="center"><a href="http://our-reflection.blogspot.com/" title="Our Reflection"><img src="http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/g383/_laurahernandez/MeetTweet-2.jpg" alt="Our Reflection" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

One lucky link up person will WIN a FREE a solo guest post on

Our Reflection blog during the month of April!

Drum roll please....

Last weeks Meet & Tweet winner is Mary from Trusty Chucks!

Congratulations! You have 48-hours to claim your prize.

Please link up your Twitter account below 
{not your blog}

***Want to be a future co-host? Email me at momsgonnasnap@gmail.com***

Photo Challenge Winners: Faceless Portraits

This weeks guest judge is a someone very special,
my daughter Rachel from Photography by Rachel Lauren.

Here are Rachel's top picks...

1st Place WINNER: Brooke for A New View 365

I just love how artistic this picture is! Not only is it a “faceless” picture,

but it’s is one of the only pictures that wasn’t a person.. by far, one of my favorites :)

2nd Place WINNER: Lena from Mom2MemphisAndRuby

I really love the colors in this picture! Of course you can’t see their face, but you can

only imagine the look on their face as they look over the railing.. love this! <3

3rd Place WINNER: Sue from Hello, Also, I Love You

I find this picture very inspirational. Though we cannot see the face of this person,

we all know what this person has gone through for our country. This is truly amazing :)

If your photo was in the top three, CONGRATULATIONS! You rocked it this week!

Winners please contact me at momsgonnasnap@gmail.com.

Rachel choose next weeks photo theme to be "SHADOWS."

Can't wait to see what you come up with!

Read here to see how it works to be considered a winner.

Link up opens this Friday morning so be ready!

A little secret, those first to link their photos get major hits.

Interested in being a guest judge?

Email me at momsgonnasnap@gmail.com.

Guest: Amanda from Raising Miss Mommy

Hi everyone!  My name is Amanda from the blog Raising Miss Mommy.  I'm very excited to be guest posting here today!  Among my friends I am one of the first ladies to have a baby.  I always have so much fun when friends ask me questions about pregnancy, birth, and mommyhood because I will tell them things that they are a bit shocked to hear happens.  The road to mommyhood is different for everyone but it's still easy to relate to the experiences or give you a more real idea of what can go on.  Here's my account of the things that not everyone tells you.

don't be too jealous of my awesome polkadot pants :)

The Beginning {finding out there's a little nugget in you} Our bundle of joy came as a major surprise, but the emotions were just the same.  Scared, shocked, happy, nervous, anxious, excited...just to name a few. You might ask what made me even take a test since we weren't trying to have a baby?  No, it wasn't because I had missed my lady time but because I just had this weird feeling.  My body just felt different.  I had been having a ton {and I mean practically constant} of heart palpitations.  I didn't think much of it until I found out I was pregnant and looked up unique pregnancy symptoms and that was one of them because you heart has to adjust to all the extra blood that is starting to go through your body.  After about 8 pregnancy tests it finally hit me that this was for real.  Went to the doctor to confirm and there was a little nugget in there!  Did I mention that I was also peeing a ton???  I know you always hear about how frequent trips to the bathroom can signal a pregnancy, but they don't quite explain that it's like feeling like you already have to go again after even finishing your current bathroom trip.

The First Trimester {the part where you want to stuff pillows up your shirt so people think you look pregnant not just bloated} After getting past the initial excitement and shock that pregnancy brings you want everyone to know that you are in fact pregnant, but not by telling them.  You want people to look at you and say "awwww what a cute lil' pregger"!  For me the whole first trimester was feeling and looking like I had stuffed my face at the fair and participated in a drinking contest.  Clothes got a little more snug but there wasn't really a belly to show for it.  This is also the time when crazy lady pregnancy brain kicks in.  I was paranoid about everything.  What I ate, walking past smokers outside, wondering if it could hurt the baby to wear to tight of pants, when did I need to stop sleeping on my stomach... I could go on and on. The reality of it is what is meant to happen will happen.  I was so worried that I would do something to cause us to lose this little blessing, but for the most part it's out of your control.  Yea you need to be more conscious of what you eat, don't smoke or drink and those common sense things but in the end your body and your baby are amazing things and know what they are during through this whole process.  I spent so much time being paranoid about everything and anything that I stressed myself out more that I should have been, which is one of the worse things you can do.  It's hard but tell yourself to chill out!  And for this beginning stage, shout it out loud {I'm pregnant!!!!}.  The belly will catch up :)  I was also lucky to never really get any morning sickness, but if you do try to remember it's all worth it and you'll feel better soon!

The Second Trimester {looking pregnant and feeling great} I don't have much to rant about for this trimester because it really was the cat's pajamas.  Out of nowhere I had a belly, I felt great, we found out the sex, I could finally feel the baby moving around, and the world could physically tell I was pregnant.  It was glorious.

The Third Trimester {so you say I could be pregnant for 10 months?} When everyone thinks of pregnancy they always think 9 months, when in reality if you go full term you are pregnant for 10 {yes 10} whole months.  And let me tell you once you get on the home stretch it just drags on.  I couldn't sleep because when you only have your left or right side to choose from for sleep positions your body gets a little antsy and not to mention I couldn't go more than 3 hours a night with out having to use the bathroom.  During the second trimester it's exciting to first have a true pregnant belly but now there's this huge thing protruding from you that has a mind of it's own.  Your skin itches because it is being stretched so tight, your back aches, and you just feel heavy.  It still is wonderful but no one really tells you the toll it takes on your body on a day to day basis.  Emotions begin to really get out of control now, you're way hormonal and getting so anxious to meet your little baby that start getting mad that they haven't decided to show their face early.  I didn't get any stretch marks until the last couple weeks of my pregnancy which just added fuel to my hormonal fire.  Also after ten months of not being able to poop you've had enough.  At this point too you have weekly doctor visits which is a pleasant reminder that the stork does not in fact peacefully place your baby in your arms, it has to come out of you.  Talk about terrifying.  Maybe ten months of mental preparation should have been used more wisely?!  Nothing can prepare you for what you are about to go through.  Trust me, we did all the classes, read all the books, watched movies... you think you know or have a good idea as to what it will be like... you don't.

The Birth {the most painful, beautiful, amazing experience you will ever have} Labor hurts, that's just a fact.  I could try to describe what contractions feel like when they're bad but all I can say is it's the most painful thing you will ever experience.  They just take over your body.  After we took our peanut home from the hospital my fiance told me the only comparison he had was that at one point he thought I looked like Emily Rose.  If you get paranoid and crazy like I did that also means you probably have a perfect little plan in place for your pregnancy and labor/birth.  That's all fine and dandy but I can almost 100% guarantee that it won't go the way you planned.  I was absolutely certain I was not going to use any pain medication or an epidural.  Well after 27 hours of intense and tough labor and only dilating to 3 centimeters you bet I gave in and got that epidural.  Best decision I never made in my labor plan.  I was also induced and that definitely wasn't part of my plan.  I wish I had had more of an open mind about things, I could have avoided a lot of pain and stress {not to mention everyone around me probably wouldn't have been as terrified of me as they were, resulting in a more pleasant experience for all}.  But then the time comes where you give birth and they put your little baby on your chest.  Everything else you just went through is like a dream, nothing matters.  The only thing you see and feel is your new little baby and the bond and love you have for you new little family.  It's more beautiful than words can describe.

Going Home and the First Few Days {so we get a manual for this thing right?} As if the first car ride with your baby isn't scary enough, you get home and there's no more nurses telling you what to do.  Where's my manual?  What the heck am I doing?  After the adrenaline from having the baby is gone you are quickly reminded what your southern region has gone through.  It hurts and sitting around isn't going to do you any good.  Get off your butt and walk around, it's ok to take your newborn out.  They will survive.  As for your sore, chapped and blistering nipples?  That gets better too, don't give up.  Rub some cream on there and walk around topless and air those puppies out.  Stick with it and you'll be a pro in no time.  This is also when you realize that other people want to help and hold the baby.  This too is ok, it will still always be your baby.  Daddy wants to feel like a parent too, he didn't get the joy of feeling what it was like to carry both of your child for so long.  He might not do things the way you would, but that's ok!  The first couple of months go by so fast that you won't remember how tired you were, how uncomfortable you felt... you'll just remember how amazing this little gift is.

out for a walk on our first day home from the hospital

Well I hope I didn't scare you too much!  I would love for you to visit me {blog}{Facebook}{Twitter}!  Want some more mommy advice?  Let me know, maybe I will do a follow up post on my blog :) Thank you Laura for having me!