About Christi Wilson: Founder, Girlfriends Coffee Hour

Christi Wilson - Founder of Girlfriends Coffee Hour - Blog Contributor
Christi has lived in Southeast Wisconsin since 2001, with her husband Gary. She is mom / step-mom to four amazing adult children ages 34 to 23 years old; grandmother of ten awesome grandchildren ranging in age from 16 years to 14 months. She and her husband are foster parents to children in need. Christi has been involved in Women’s Ministry for 9 years. Some of her hobbies include cooking, loom knitting, reading, and family.

At Home with GCH: Homemade Body Scrub

May 8, 2013 by Christi Wilson: Founder, Girlfriends Coffee Hour 7 Comments

We all know, as women, that Body Scrubs can be expensive; ranging anywhere from $10 to $50+ per bottle! How about if I show you a way to make a Homemade Body Scrub that costs far less than you would pay for retail? It’s easy, of course, and it works like a charm! Why spend top dollar for a product that you can make at home; one that works beautifully! The proof is in the pictures below.

Homemade Body Scrub

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Sea Salt

1/2 cup Shampoo (I use the 99-cent brand)

Directions:

Mix both ingredients together in a small bowl until well blended.

That’s it! Apply the scrub to a part of your body that is dry or scaly, and needs rejuvenating! You will definitely see, and feel, a huge difference in your skin after application! Your skin will not only feel softer, but look a lot younger, too! It’s definitely a keeper in my bath routine! I hope you will love it as much as I do!

I hope you will give this a try, and then let me know what you thought of it! I’m all about things that are EASY, and Cost-Effective! This recipe definitely fits the bill for both!

Happy Scrubbing!

Christi

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If you would like to send an email to Christi in regards to this recipe, you can email her at:

Christi@girlfriendscoffeehour.com

Filed Under: At Home w/ GCH Tagged With: At Home w/ GCH, Christi Wilson, Girlfriends Coffee Hour, Homemade Body Scrub

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY Girlfriends Coffee Hour!!!

May 5, 2013 by Christi Wilson: Founder, Girlfriends Coffee Hour 30 Comments

Woo Hoo!! Happy Anniversary to GCH!!!

1-year ago today, Girlfriends Coffee Hour published its first LIVE Online Bible Study on this website! We had just a few women sign-up for that study, and we had a blast!

Today, GCH, as we all so fondly call it, is now in 150+ Countries across the globe!! Never in a million years would I have ever dreamed that God could use a simple housewife from Southeast Wisconsin to help spread the Gospel!! Many times, I had to be reminded God’s God This!! Don’t ever think that God can’t use just ordinary people!! He can, and He will, if you let Him!!

Today, we have 20 women on our Ministry Leadership Team, who help keep this ministry functioning on a daily basis! Thank God, because there is no way this housewife from Wisconsin could do this on her own! I am so very BLESSED by this amazing Team of women who give so graciously of their time, prayers, support, and LOVE!! Truly without these women …. wow!

God has blessed this ministry in so many ways. Each day we dedicate GCH to Him in our prayers, and we give Him thanks for all that He has done, and continues to do.

The scripture that God gave us for this ministry is Proverbs 27:17 (NLT) “…as iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” In this ministry, we are blessed to sharpen each other. We are blessed to hold each other accountable to building our relationship with our Heavenly Father, and being the Leaders that He has called us all to be! We are blessed to have such a Sisterhood in this ministry, where faith, friends, and fellowship flourish in our Fellowship & Study Groups!

I give God all praise, honor, and glory, for Girlfriends Coffee Hour! I hope you will help us celebrate this week! We will be giving away some amazing prizes this week in honor of our anniversary! Stay tuned … on Monday (tomorrow) we will announce the first prize!! These prizes are going to bless your socks off!!

Be sure to leave a comment below to let us know how GCH has been a blessing in YOUR life! We’d love to hear from you!

Thank You ALL so very much for joining us this last year! We hope to see you around for many more years to come!!

May the Good Lord Bless You,

Christi Wilson
Founder of Girlfriends Coffee Hour

Filed Under: At Home w/ GCH, Women's Tagged With: Anniversary, bible study, celebration, Christian Women's Fellowship, Christian Women's Fellowship Group, coffee, GCH, Girlfriends, Girlfriends Coffee Hour, God, Jesus, women, Women's Online Bible Study

At Home with GCH: “Painted” Mason Jars

April 24, 2013 by Christi Wilson: Founder, Girlfriends Coffee Hour Leave a Comment

I LOVE Mason Jars….there I said it! It’s off my chest now! Mason jars can be so much FUN! I’ve seen them used for organizing pantries, for holding green smoothies, drill holes in the lid to put a straw in and use it as a drinking glass, change jars, cookie jars, pasta jars, and so much more! All of those ideas seemed pretty understandable…. But, then I saw this next idea, and I got excited!

I’m so excited to show you this next project! When I first saw it on Pinterest, I thought “NO WAY….Painted Mason Jars??” But oh my goodness, just wait until you see just how beautiful this project turns out!

So let’s get to work!

Here is what you will need for this project:

1 clear glass Mason Jar

½ cup of Elmer’s Glue

5 -10 drops of your favorite food coloring (depending on how dark you want the color)

1-inch paint brush

Directions:

Stir the glue and food coloring together until well blended. Grab your favorite 1-inch paint brush and then start painting the glue onto the jar. After the whole jar is covered, set the jar aside and allow drying, and then watch what happens!

The fun part of this project is that you are not limited to just one color! Once the jar has dried with the first color, mix up more “paint” using a different food color. Using a smaller brush, you can take this 2^nd color and draw all kinds of squiggly lines, or geometric designs, or circles, or whatever you want onto the jar. Once again, after you’ve painted the jar, set aside to allow drying. If you want to add a 3^rd color…you know what to do now!

Then to finalize this project, find some amazingly beautiful flowers and viola…you have a perfect homemade vase to hold your beautiful flowers…or whatever else you want to use these jars for. I love the flowers because, well, I just love fresh flowers, and the jars and flowers together make for a beautiful centerpiece. If you want, you can use three different jar sizes…make them all different colors and then use as a centerpiece on your table!

Now that you know what you can do with JARS, don’t throw away your old jars. Save those mayonnaise or pickle jars, and turn them into something beautiful. I’m sure a friend would love to receive one of these amazingly beautiful jars filled with flowers or candy, or … or … or. The possibilities are endless!

If you have been following my blog for any length of time, you know that I like projects that are simple! You can’t get much simpler than this for a beautiful set of jars or a centerpiece!

I’d love to see YOUR projects! You can email your pictures to me at Christi@girlfriendscoffeehour.com.

Happy Painting!

Christi

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*Cleaning Tip 1: Wash your brush out with water as soon as you are finished painting your jar.

**Cleaning Tip 2: As your jars are drying, you will see some of the glue slide down the jar, onto the countertop or whatever you are placing the jars on to dry. USE PAPER TOWELS TO WIPE THIS UP. Otherwise, whatever you use will get stained with the food coloring. (Don’t ask me how I know this!!)

Filed Under: At Home w/ GCH Tagged With: At Home w/ GCH, centerpiece, Christi Wilson, easy craft ideas, Girlfriends Coffee Hour, Girlfriends Coffee Hour; Online Bible Study, mason jars, painted mason jars

At Home with GCH: Restaurant-Style Salsa

April 10, 2013 by Christi Wilson: Founder, Girlfriends Coffee Hour 3 Comments

Whenever we go for Mexican food, I am very particular about where we go mainly because of the Salsa! I’m very picky about Salsa, and there are only certain kinds that I like. I don’t like the chunky salsa. I love the blended kind. So in my search for the perfect salsa, I finally came up with one that works for me! I hope you will give it a try!

Restaurant-Style Salsa

Ingredients:

1-28 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes

1-10 oz can of Rotel tomatoes w/ green chilies

2 Tbsp minced garlic

1 med yellow onion, diced

1 tsp cumin

2 tsp Wildtree Jalapeno Pepper Blend

2 Tbsp minced cilantro leaves (or 1 handful of fresh cilantro)

Directions:

Put all ingredients into a blender and blend for about 1 minute.

Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving, to allow all the ingredients to blend together. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips!

Easy-Peasy, and oh so delicious!

Filed Under: At Home w/ GCH Tagged With: At Home w/ GCH, Christi Wilson, Girlfriends Coffee Hour, Homemade Salsa, Restaurant-style Salsa, Salsa recipes

Glorious Living w/ Coach Megan –

April 5, 2013 by Christi Wilson: Founder, Girlfriends Coffee Hour Leave a Comment

Due to unforeseen circumstances, we are not able to publish Coach Megan’s blog this week. She’ll be back next week to answer your Life questions!!

Until then, have a blessed week!

Filed Under: Glorious Living w/ Coach Megan

Captivating: Chapter 12 Weekly Review – End of Study

March 29, 2013 by Christi Wilson: Founder, Girlfriends Coffee Hour 2 Comments

Girlfriends, what an awesome journey we have been on for the last couple of weeks. I pray that you are more than convinced of your awesomeness! You truly are Captivating.

On Monday, Jackie told us that we have an irreplaceable role to play in this world. God is waiting for us to accept that role so that He can use us for His glory. You and I have the power to influence our world for God.

Tuesday with Tonya we learned that what God asks us to do can seem more than what we thought possible. Being what God requires us to be can seem overwhelming at times. But, by saying ‘yes’ to God, and by going where God is asking us to go, and doing what God asks us to do, we are also acknowledging that we have faith in His covering—faith that He will take care of everything else.

Carissa shared some awesome truths with us on Wednesday. She said that we might not be where we are ‘called’ to be right now, because God is preparing us for His plans that are to come. We can’t see the big picture, but God can. He has you right where you are for His reasoning.

On Thursday, Michelle encouraged us to not be afraid of who we are, who we were created to be. It is time to stop hiding. Let us all step out in faith. Let us be real and present in the moment.

Girlfriends, I want to encourage you to be strong in the Lord. Yes, things come our way that paralyze us, and it feels like we will never recover, never be able to get up and walk again, but I want to remind you of the cross. When you are blinded by fear, think of what happened at the cross. God is in control!

I love you and hope that you will join us in our Women’s study that started on Monday, Girls With Swords. I feel armed and dangerous!

Let’s Pray:
Father, thank You for each lady that participated in this study. Thank You that You have great and wonderful plans for their lives. I pray that they will always know that they are Your children and that You love them unconditionally, Amen.

Be blessed!

Edwina

Filed Under: Singles Tagged With: Captivating:Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul, Edwina Howard, Girlfriends Coffee Hour, Girls with Swords, John Eldredge, Lisa Bevere, online bible study, Stasi Eldredge, Women's Online Bible Studies

At Home with GCH: Homemade Fabric Softener

March 27, 2013 by Christi Wilson: Founder, Girlfriends Coffee Hour 4 Comments

To finish off our month of “All Things Green“, I want to focus on saving you money today, by giving you a recipe of a product that most of use every day in our home! Anytime I can save the GREEN in my wallet, I’m a happy camper!

Homemade Fabric Softener

Makes 151.6 ounces

I have used this homemade recipe several times in the last week, and I have to say, “I LOVE IT!” You can choose whichever fragrance of Suave conditioner that you wish! It works perfectly on making your laundry soft and gentle, and it beats static cling! Can’t ask for more than that, right?

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Ingredients:
6 cups HOT water
3 cups White Vinegar
2 cups Suave Conditioner (your choice)

Directions:

(I had to split this recipe in half to begin with to be able to make the recipe in my blender.)

Blend 3 cups of HOT water and 1-cup of Suave Conditioner in a blender until the conditioner is dissolved. Add in 1-1/2 cups of white vinegar, and blend another 30 seconds. Pour into a 2 liter bottle. Mix remaining ingredients into a blender as directed above and repeat the same process. Pour into 2nd 2-liter bottle and into a 1-pint jar.

Pour into a downy ball… or use approximately 2 Tbsp. in the fabric softener section in your washing machine, then wash and dry the load. Shake well before each use.

I paid 96-cents for a bottle of Suave Conditioner.

I paid $1.00 for a bottle of White Vinegar

The water…well, that didn’t cost me anything!!

The recipe makes 151.6 ounces.

Total cost per ounce: $.0129

That fits my pocketbook perfectly!

*****

Filed Under: At Home w/ GCH Tagged With: At Home w/ GCH, Christi Wilson, DIY, GCH, Girlfriends Coffee Hour, Homemade Fabric Softener, Homemade Recipes

Introducing “Glorious Living w/Coach Megan”

March 22, 2013 by Christi Wilson: Founder, Girlfriends Coffee Hour 9 Comments

I am so pleased to announce a brand new addition to our ministry. Many of you know our Co-Founder, Megan Smidt. You know her heart. You know her love for helping women. You know she pours her heart into everything she does. You know above all else, her love for our Lord Jesus.

Megan wears many hats, one of which is a Certified Christian Life Coach. Being a Life Coach is Megan’s calling. It is very evident in how she reaches out to other women, and guides and encourages them in the way God is calling them. She has an amazing heart, and I am so very blessed to know her, and have her as my partner here at Girlfriends Coffee Hour.

Beginning March 29th, Megan will begin a brand new blog here on GCH, titled Glorious Living with Coach Megan. This blog is for YOU, our readers, to have your questions about life answered. Megan will be answering your questions each Friday! All you have to do is submit your questions to her. She can address them anonymously, as well. Email your questions to Megan at Megan@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com.

We’ve set aside some time today for you to get to know Megan a little better. I’ve interviewed Megan recently, and we want to share that interview with you! May I introduce Megan Smidt, CCLC….

Where were you born?

Lynwood, CA.

Out of all the places that you have lived, which one is your most favorite?

Tennessee!!! I love having seasons and the people here are amazing.

What were you like as a teenager?

I was… ME! I loved music, singing, reading, writing, and being with my friends. I wore every color at the same time and I certainly danced to the beat of my own drum. I guess I haven’t changed too much since then!

Did you go to college? If so, what degree(s) do you hold?

Yes, I went to Fullerton College right out of high school and earned an AA degree in Liberal Studies. I then transferred to CSU, Fullerton where I earned Bachelors of Arts degrees in English and Women’s Studies. I went back to school and earned my Christian Life Coaching Certification from PCCCA in 2011.

Tell us about some of the jobs that you have held over the years, and which one is your most favorite?

My first job was “magazine manager” at B.Dalton Booksellers when I was 16. From there, I was manager and buyer for a Papyrus store, and retail manager for Hallmark Creations, Ice Accessories, and Victoria’s Secret. I was a manager and scheduler for Bank of America and most recently, I am Personal Assistant to Yancy (www.yancynotnancy.com) and, I “work” as a Certified Christian Life Coach.

It is hard to pick a favorite because there are things about most of those jobs that I loved, but I would say that working for Yancy has been a whole lot of fun and I LOVE helping people grow in their walk with the Lord and in their life in general as a life coach.

If you could have lunch with anyone that is living or has passed on, who would it be? Why?

Oh, that’s a tough one! I would have to say my gramma. I miss her terribly and even though I had a lot of time with her here on earth, I miss our talks so much that to have one more would just be wonderful.

If money was not an object, and you could do anything that you wanted to do and know that you would not fail, what would you do?

I would travel around the world helping as many people as I could come to have an intimate relationship with God and intentionally live the life God has called them to live. I pray that Craig, our kids and family could join me along the way!

What is your most favorite thing about blogging?

Encouraging people to intentionally live the life that God has called them to live.

Tell us how you came to be a Christian Life Coach.

God told me to. I had been fired from my job and let myself be still and wait for God to show me what He wanted me to do. He showed me this and I had no clue what it even was! So, I began looking into it and, after 6 months of prayer and research, I found the perfect program for what God had shown me. I became certified and have loved every minute of this journey living out my calling!

If there was one piece of advice that you could give the women of Girlfriends Coffee Hour, what would it be?

Do not be content to merely survive! God calls us to a life filled with joy where we are content in every season. It IS possible or God would not command it in His Word! It takes diligence and intentional living to make it happen but, with God, all things are possible!

Explain what your new Glorious Living blog will be about, and how women can submit their questions to you.

I am so excited about this opportunity to help all of my GCH friends! Glorious Living is a weekly blog where I answer questions posed by friends simply sending an email to me at megan@girlfriendscoffeehour.com . The questions can be about anything they might need help with in their life to propel them forward where they might be feeling stuck. This can have to do with relationships, career, values, life purpose, priorities, and their walk with the Lord… Anything, really! I have already received some great questions and, I am so excited to get started with this new adventure! I pray God works through this blog to help heal and propel women all over the world forward toward the life that God has created them for!

Filed Under: Glorious Living w/ Coach Megan Tagged With: Christian Coach, Christian Life Coach, Girlfriends Coffee Hour, Glorious Living with Coach Megan, Life Coach, Life Coaching, Megan Smidt, PCCCA, Yancy

“Girls with Swords: How to Carry Your Cross Like a Hero” BEGINS MARCH 25th!

March 22, 2013 by Christi Wilson: Founder, Girlfriends Coffee Hour 7 Comments

I am so very excited about this next study “Girls with Swords” by Lisa Bevere! I’ve read up to Chapter 6 so far, and I am telling you—this is one amazing book! All I can say is “Ladies, GET READY!” This book is going to bless your socks off!

If you haven’t enrolled in this amazing study yet, DO SO NOW! You WON’T want to miss this study! Go to our sign-up page located HERE and enroll. Once you complete the enrollment process, we will email you further details!

Until your book arrives, we would like to share Chapter 1 with you now. We really hope you will join us for this amazing study!

Enjoy!

Filed Under: Women's Tagged With: Christi Wilson, Girlfriends Coffee Hour, Girls with Swords, Lisa Bevere, Women's Online Bible Study

At Home with GCH: “All Things Green” — Green Food!! :)

March 20, 2013 by Christi Wilson: Founder, Girlfriends Coffee Hour 1 Comment

I know St Patty’s Day is done and over with, but I just had to share these FUN recipes with you!! It doesn’t have to be a GREEN holiday to share them, right??!! :-) ENJOY!