My husband I recently traveled to Texas for some church ministry work.  We both work in the Audio/Visual Department at our local church in Sacramento and went to Texas to visit some churches who do amazing work in church TV Broadcasting and livestreaming services.  I am grateful that while work and training was what took us to Texas, we were able to squeeze in some tourist attractions too.

We love watching HGTV's Fixer Upper with Chip and Joanna Gaines and love following their journey, so while in Texas a visit to Magnolia Market at the Silos in Waco, TX is a must.  I have visited Texas before, we have family that lives in Brownsville, TX, which is way South, so we had not visited Waco before.  

If you are traveling to Texas and within a two hour drive I would definitely recommend a visit to Magnolia Market at the Silos.  I wouldn't necessarily plan a complete vacation just to visit there, unless you are a super mega fan I guess, but it is definitely worth a drive if you are in the area or have other things planned in Texas. 

We flew into Dallas, TX and it was about a one and half hour drive to the Silos.  It is quite inspiring to see what one dream can expand into.  There is something for everyone at Magnolia Market at the Silos, shopping, outdoor games, delicious food, and even a garden and garden store. In the picture below you can see the baseball field, which also has a concession stand and you can see the back of the church on the grounds.  

Magnolia Market at the Silos is located at 601 Webster in Waco, TX.  They are open Monday through Saturday 9 AM to 6 PM.  You'll take Exit 335A, turn on 4th Street, Left on Webster.  There is a parking lot right at the corner that costs $10 or you can find street parking if available.  You can also park further down there are more parking lots and they have a FREE Silo District Trolley that will give you a lift. The Trolley runs every 15-20 minutes. We found street parking and we visited on a busy Saturday afternoon.  While it was busy, there was a steady flow of both people coming and going, it did not seem too packed. 

If I wrote about everything to do at the Silos in one blog post, it would be way too long, so I am going to break it up and write about individual things to do there, starting with "The Old Church" since church work is what brought us to Texas. The Old Church is one of the oldest structures in Waco, TX. I read on the Magnolia Blog a statement I love, "The Old Church holds a unique story of something old being made new—a story that resonates with us time and time again".

I absolutely LOVE that Chip and Joanna Gaines brought this old church to the Silos Grounds and restored it, all the attention to details are stunning. They really have done such a wonderful job of creating a welcoming, relaxing environment that makes you want to stay and hang out at the Silos all day long. I can see why it is such a popular sight, it is all about the experience, there is so much to take in.

You have to head to their blog and see the before pictures and learn more about this buildings history.  Chip and Jo's hope in restoring and bringing this building to the Grounds at the Silos is that it serves as an inspiring part of your experience—one that as you pass through allows you to pause, reflect, and behold the beauty of a place with such a rich and meaningful history.  There is plenty of seating, around the grounds and near the church area, people were sitting on the benches people watching, others were dancing and having fun on the grass area.  There is also a lot of small shops on this side of the grounds near The Old Church. 

A big part of the Magnolia culture is to “own the space you’re in”.  I encourage you to own whatever space you’re in, not only the physical spaces but the seasons of life you are in, own it, embrace it, cherish it, take it all in, every day is a gift.  

We saw many people going in The Old Church for a bit, sitting, taking in all the beauty and nostalgia of The Old Church.  There was plenty of seating with the beautiful wood pews. It really was so nice to go into the church on the grounds and really take a moment to pause and reflect. 


I am so grateful for our church and that my husband and I serve in the Audio Visual Department together. Owning our space in “serving” has benefited and strengthened our marriage, our family, our careers, every area of our life. The greatest way to reap the rewards of attending church is in owning it and making it part of you, making it your family, making it part of your life not just something you do on a Sunday. Get involved, volunteer, get to know the people, it is all in relationships. Having community is priceless.  I read on Joanna's Instagram “Maybe the true purpose of being devoted to something isn’t found in how it ends, but in the way it takes shape—or even ends up shaping us—along the way.” @joannagaines. I can see that in our commitment to Christ, in our commitment to our church, it's only purpose is not only in how it ends, there is so much more, each relationship, each community service event, each service and ministry connection has helped shape us into who we are today. Sometimes in life we get so caught up in the outcome or the results, we live in a results driven society, that we forget that it is all part of the journey.  
I love this quote by Martin Luther King Jr. "Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be, and you can never be what you ought to be, until I am what I ought to be." That is the truth, we need one another, and we won’t ever become all we can become unless we do it together.

If you are in the Sacramento area I invite you to come join us, get to know people who will love you, pray for you, cry with you, celebrate with you and all the things in between. There are great people who want to help you reach your dreams at Family Community Church! I grew up Catholic, and we were not deeply involved.  Growing up we went to church on Easter and Christmas Eve and maybe one other time throughout the year.  Attending a non-denominational church was completely new to me.  I had no idea that church is like family, just like family there can be growth opportunities to forgive and walk in love, there is no perfect family, there is no perfect church.  I say that because maybe you are reading this and you have been to church but quit going because of a hurt or not finding the right one.  I encourage you not to quit searching for your tribe, everyone needs one.  Ask God to lead you and your family to the right church for you, and then commit and get involved it makes all the difference in the world.  Someone once told me that a great benefit to giving your life to Christ is you'll have family everywhere you go.  I can attest that is absolutely true.  When you join the family of God, you will have family all over the world, the best family. I am so grateful for our church family and to be part of the Body of Christ, I wouldn't trade it for anything.  Feel free to e-mail me for more information at theblogaboutitall@gmail.com or visit our church website at Familycc.org.

Have plans to visit Magnolia Market at the Silos? Feel free to reach out with any questions, I am happy to share more about our visit and anything that may help your visit.  Thank you for reading if you've enjoyed the content you've read above please share with your friends.

Magnolia Market at the Silos | The Old Church

My husband I recently traveled to Texas for some church ministry work.  We both work in the Audio/Visual Department at our local church in Sacramento and went to Texas to visit some churches who do amazing work in church TV Broadcasting and livestreaming services.  I am grateful that while work and training was what took us to Texas, we were able to squeeze in some tourist attractions too.

We love watching HGTV's Fixer Upper with Chip and Joanna Gaines and love following their journey, so while in Texas a visit to Magnolia Market at the Silos in Waco, TX is a must.  I have visited Texas before, we have family that lives in Brownsville, TX, which is way South, so we had not visited Waco before.  

If you are traveling to Texas and within a two hour drive I would definitely recommend a visit to Magnolia Market at the Silos.  I wouldn't necessarily plan a complete vacation just to visit there, unless you are a super mega fan I guess, but it is definitely worth a drive if you are in the area or have other things planned in Texas. 

We flew into Dallas, TX and it was about a one and half hour drive to the Silos.  It is quite inspiring to see what one dream can expand into.  There is something for everyone at Magnolia Market at the Silos, shopping, outdoor games, delicious food, and even a garden and garden store. In the picture below you can see the baseball field, which also has a concession stand and you can see the back of the church on the grounds.  

Magnolia Market at the Silos is located at 601 Webster in Waco, TX.  They are open Monday through Saturday 9 AM to 6 PM.  You'll take Exit 335A, turn on 4th Street, Left on Webster.  There is a parking lot right at the corner that costs $10 or you can find street parking if available.  You can also park further down there are more parking lots and they have a FREE Silo District Trolley that will give you a lift. The Trolley runs every 15-20 minutes. We found street parking and we visited on a busy Saturday afternoon.  While it was busy, there was a steady flow of both people coming and going, it did not seem too packed. 

If I wrote about everything to do at the Silos in one blog post, it would be way too long, so I am going to break it up and write about individual things to do there, starting with "The Old Church" since church work is what brought us to Texas. The Old Church is one of the oldest structures in Waco, TX. I read on the Magnolia Blog a statement I love, "The Old Church holds a unique story of something old being made new—a story that resonates with us time and time again".

I absolutely LOVE that Chip and Joanna Gaines brought this old church to the Silos Grounds and restored it, all the attention to details are stunning. They really have done such a wonderful job of creating a welcoming, relaxing environment that makes you want to stay and hang out at the Silos all day long. I can see why it is such a popular sight, it is all about the experience, there is so much to take in.

You have to head to their blog and see the before pictures and learn more about this buildings history.  Chip and Jo's hope in restoring and bringing this building to the Grounds at the Silos is that it serves as an inspiring part of your experience—one that as you pass through allows you to pause, reflect, and behold the beauty of a place with such a rich and meaningful history.  There is plenty of seating, around the grounds and near the church area, people were sitting on the benches people watching, others were dancing and having fun on the grass area.  There is also a lot of small shops on this side of the grounds near The Old Church. 

A big part of the Magnolia culture is to “own the space you’re in”.  I encourage you to own whatever space you’re in, not only the physical spaces but the seasons of life you are in, own it, embrace it, cherish it, take it all in, every day is a gift.  

We saw many people going in The Old Church for a bit, sitting, taking in all the beauty and nostalgia of The Old Church.  There was plenty of seating with the beautiful wood pews. It really was so nice to go into the church on the grounds and really take a moment to pause and reflect. 


I am so grateful for our church and that my husband and I serve in the Audio Visual Department together. Owning our space in “serving” has benefited and strengthened our marriage, our family, our careers, every area of our life. The greatest way to reap the rewards of attending church is in owning it and making it part of you, making it your family, making it part of your life not just something you do on a Sunday. Get involved, volunteer, get to know the people, it is all in relationships. Having community is priceless.  I read on Joanna's Instagram “Maybe the true purpose of being devoted to something isn’t found in how it ends, but in the way it takes shape—or even ends up shaping us—along the way.” @joannagaines. I can see that in our commitment to Christ, in our commitment to our church, it's only purpose is not only in how it ends, there is so much more, each relationship, each community service event, each service and ministry connection has helped shape us into who we are today. Sometimes in life we get so caught up in the outcome or the results, we live in a results driven society, that we forget that it is all part of the journey.  
I love this quote by Martin Luther King Jr. "Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be, and you can never be what you ought to be, until I am what I ought to be." That is the truth, we need one another, and we won’t ever become all we can become unless we do it together.

If you are in the Sacramento area I invite you to come join us, get to know people who will love you, pray for you, cry with you, celebrate with you and all the things in between. There are great people who want to help you reach your dreams at Family Community Church! I grew up Catholic, and we were not deeply involved.  Growing up we went to church on Easter and Christmas Eve and maybe one other time throughout the year.  Attending a non-denominational church was completely new to me.  I had no idea that church is like family, just like family there can be growth opportunities to forgive and walk in love, there is no perfect family, there is no perfect church.  I say that because maybe you are reading this and you have been to church but quit going because of a hurt or not finding the right one.  I encourage you not to quit searching for your tribe, everyone needs one.  Ask God to lead you and your family to the right church for you, and then commit and get involved it makes all the difference in the world.  Someone once told me that a great benefit to giving your life to Christ is you'll have family everywhere you go.  I can attest that is absolutely true.  When you join the family of God, you will have family all over the world, the best family. I am so grateful for our church family and to be part of the Body of Christ, I wouldn't trade it for anything.  Feel free to e-mail me for more information at theblogaboutitall@gmail.com or visit our church website at Familycc.org.

Have plans to visit Magnolia Market at the Silos? Feel free to reach out with any questions, I am happy to share more about our visit and anything that may help your visit.  Thank you for reading if you've enjoyed the content you've read above please share with your friends.
Read more »

We recently celebrated one of my son's birthday in April, he turned the big double digits, ten years old.  He is a fan of the video game Among Us, and he requested an Among Us themed birthday party.

He especially wanted Among Us Cookies, so I looked on Amazon for an Among Us shaped cookie cutter, I found one, but did not look up the dimensions. I just looked to see if it was available to arrive quickly and ship Prime. Well it arrived quickly, but I found out it was too small. Thankfully my my mother-in-law who is the cookie queen, improvised with another cookie cutter shape she had and she came to the rescue for the birthday boy's desire for Among Us cookies.


I still wanted to try and use the small cookie cutter, and thought if I used colored cookie dough I could eliminate the need to ice the cookies. Another dilemma presented itself, I searched up best way to dye cookie dough and of course all the sites recommended using GEL food coloring. Well because I did not think this all the way through and his birthday party was in a couple of days, there was no time to order the GEL food coloring and I did not want to go shop around, so I tried the food coloring that I had.

Well let me save you some hands on learning, if you want to color cookie dough... order GEL food coloring, don’t use regular food coloring, now I know why. The regular liquid food coloring changes the consistency of the dough, it made it too crumbly. It did not look too crumbly at first, but as I put it on saran wrap and wrapped it, I could tell it was too crumbly and even more so after sitting in the refrigerator over night, the dough was too dry.

I am so grateful for technology and people who share their experiences, which is a huge reason in why I blog, because I found that others had experienced the same problem using liquid food coloring and to fix the crumbly dough they used a spray bottle and lightly spritzed the dough with water. It actually worked! It still was a lot of work, and such a giant mess. I will never do that again.


Here is my favorite sugar cookie dough recipe which usually comes out perfect, of course without liquid food coloring.

Sugar Cookie Recipe

Ingredients:

3 1/4 cups of All-Purpose Flour

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1 Cup of Butter Softened

1 1/2 Cups of White Sugar

2 Eggs 

2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract

Directions:

1. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together, set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Gradually blend in the sifted ingredients until fully absorbed. Cover dough, and chill for 2 hours or overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with Parchment paper. On a clean surface sprinkle powdered sugar instead of the normal flour, roll out small portions of chilled dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out shapes using cookie cutters.
3. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are barely brown. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

If you have an Among Us fan in your family I will share the links of things we did love as well as the link for the Among Us Cookie Cutter that I used, maybe you are more of a cookie expert and have worked with making small cookies. Many of my cookies broke, or the edge broke off, and I had to go one by one super slow, and use a butter knife to get the pressed dough out of the cookie cutter, it was way too time consuming.



I loved the Among Us T-Shirts we found, I also loved the birthday banner we use and was happy with the cupcake toppers I found. These are not affiliate links or sponsored in any way, just sharing what we used for our Among Us Themed fun.

Among Us Birthday Banner: https://amzn.to/2SkI0Fn

Cupcake Toppers: https://amzn.to/2RoBNIc

Among Us Pop Sensory Fidget Toy: https://amzn.to/2RpMoSV

Among us Men's T-Shirt: https://amzn.to/3vEIm8m

Among Us Ladies T-Shirt: https://amzn.to/3egRrOJ

Kids Impostor T-Shirt: https://amzn.to/3h5uBLX

Youth Impostor T-Shirt: https://amzn.to/3vG08Id

Cookie Cutter: https://amzn.to/3ti8WCD

Thank you for reading if you've enjoyed the content you've read above please share with your friends.

Among Us Birthday Party Cookie Recipe

We recently celebrated one of my son's birthday in April, he turned the big double digits, ten years old.  He is a fan of the video game Among Us, and he requested an Among Us themed birthday party.

He especially wanted Among Us Cookies, so I looked on Amazon for an Among Us shaped cookie cutter, I found one, but did not look up the dimensions. I just looked to see if it was available to arrive quickly and ship Prime. Well it arrived quickly, but I found out it was too small. Thankfully my my mother-in-law who is the cookie queen, improvised with another cookie cutter shape she had and she came to the rescue for the birthday boy's desire for Among Us cookies.


I still wanted to try and use the small cookie cutter, and thought if I used colored cookie dough I could eliminate the need to ice the cookies. Another dilemma presented itself, I searched up best way to dye cookie dough and of course all the sites recommended using GEL food coloring. Well because I did not think this all the way through and his birthday party was in a couple of days, there was no time to order the GEL food coloring and I did not want to go shop around, so I tried the food coloring that I had.

Well let me save you some hands on learning, if you want to color cookie dough... order GEL food coloring, don’t use regular food coloring, now I know why. The regular liquid food coloring changes the consistency of the dough, it made it too crumbly. It did not look too crumbly at first, but as I put it on saran wrap and wrapped it, I could tell it was too crumbly and even more so after sitting in the refrigerator over night, the dough was too dry.

I am so grateful for technology and people who share their experiences, which is a huge reason in why I blog, because I found that others had experienced the same problem using liquid food coloring and to fix the crumbly dough they used a spray bottle and lightly spritzed the dough with water. It actually worked! It still was a lot of work, and such a giant mess. I will never do that again.


Here is my favorite sugar cookie dough recipe which usually comes out perfect, of course without liquid food coloring.

Sugar Cookie Recipe

Ingredients:

3 1/4 cups of All-Purpose Flour

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1 Cup of Butter Softened

1 1/2 Cups of White Sugar

2 Eggs 

2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract

Directions:

1. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together, set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Gradually blend in the sifted ingredients until fully absorbed. Cover dough, and chill for 2 hours or overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with Parchment paper. On a clean surface sprinkle powdered sugar instead of the normal flour, roll out small portions of chilled dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out shapes using cookie cutters.
3. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are barely brown. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

If you have an Among Us fan in your family I will share the links of things we did love as well as the link for the Among Us Cookie Cutter that I used, maybe you are more of a cookie expert and have worked with making small cookies. Many of my cookies broke, or the edge broke off, and I had to go one by one super slow, and use a butter knife to get the pressed dough out of the cookie cutter, it was way too time consuming.



I loved the Among Us T-Shirts we found, I also loved the birthday banner we use and was happy with the cupcake toppers I found. These are not affiliate links or sponsored in any way, just sharing what we used for our Among Us Themed fun.

Among Us Birthday Banner: https://amzn.to/2SkI0Fn

Cupcake Toppers: https://amzn.to/2RoBNIc

Among Us Pop Sensory Fidget Toy: https://amzn.to/2RpMoSV

Among us Men's T-Shirt: https://amzn.to/3vEIm8m

Among Us Ladies T-Shirt: https://amzn.to/3egRrOJ

Kids Impostor T-Shirt: https://amzn.to/3h5uBLX

Youth Impostor T-Shirt: https://amzn.to/3vG08Id

Cookie Cutter: https://amzn.to/3ti8WCD

Thank you for reading if you've enjoyed the content you've read above please share with your friends.

Read more »

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