and here's to you, Mrs. Robinson

Inspiration

2012-02-18T23:05:00.001-08:00

i love everything about this message!
i post this a long time ago but it deserves posting again.

if you are a mother [and even you aren’t] you need to listen to this message in it’s entirety!
after long days/weeks taking care of Elijah and feeling hopeless & tired, this video lifts me up and reminds me that what i’m doing is truly important.

some days, being a mom doesn’t feel like much.
it can be a thankless, messy, tiring, overwhelming job.
but Elder Holland so beautifully and lovingly reminds all of us mothers that it is worth it!
even if that certain day it doesn’t feel like it, it really is worth it all!

Saturday Favorites

2012-02-18T16:03:00.001-08:00

[jeans: Forever 21 on clearance, top: a gift from Macy’s, boots, blazer & belt: thrifted]

is the 30x30 under $30 challenge getting old?
are you guys sick of it?
bored?
dumb?
or do you want more (posted more frequently)?
or not care either way?
let me know!
i love doing it but i know i can be more consistent about posting more often.
but if no one else cares about it then i won’t worry about it anymore :)

but this outfit though, i love!
i love the patterns and simplicity of it especially with fighting a crazy toddler most places i go.
i can still feel cute and put together while being a mom on duty!

and that top has become one of my very favorites!
my mother-in-law gave it to me and i absolutely love it.
i love the color, the texture, the pattern.
and i have found it to be very versatile during this whole challenge!
love when i have clothing like that!

and now:
here’s my favorite links from this week!

this post by Tricia made my own mama heart fill with such love for my own growing toddler!
yes, Elijah is totally insane most of the time but i realize how much time goes by so fast and i am going to miss his craziness in a few years. Tricia described all the feelings we moms go through as we see our little ones grow up. i love her for putting into words something that i’m not always good at!

i loved Laura’s Journaling Through January series she wrapped up a little while ago! i am pretty much the most horrible journal keeper and i never can keep it going. i always feel like i just have too much to say!
{as you guys have witnessed i’m sure!}
but her journaling prompts are really helpful to just get started and write down the little things to help you remember from years to come. so awesome!! this is definitely going to help me be better! i plan on printing off her prompts and keeping them in my journal to follow along :)

[via]

C.Jane is one of the most beautiful, amazing, talented writers i know! she is the reason i started to blog in the first place and open up to the blogging world. she recently did a series about her 5 Loves that was simply amazing. i was in tears in almost every.single.post. she has a way of writing that we can all relate to and probably have all experienced similar things. if you haven’t read her 5 Loves posts, you are seriously doing a disservice to yourself. i think they are some of her best posts ever!! go read them now!

i posted about this in my Blogger Gift Exchange post but it’s worth mentioning again. you HAVE to check out Michelle’s Up-Cycling Sweater posts! i am about to go to the D.I. right now and find some old sweater i can use to make those awesome skirts!

i would love this print from CCY Designs to put in the nursery some day! i have this big dream to have a collage of pictures and sayings on the wall in Elijah’s room. this one would fit so perfectly! love all her prints!

another amazing post by Alexis and one i truly needed today. i have had very similar feelings that she talks about but unfortunately didn’t remember the Lord until i had reached a very very low point. i love her message and it is something i need to remember every time i get stressed and overwhelmed. He truly does care!

and there’s lots of new necklaces in the Rhi’s Designs shop!! my sister created some beautiful new necklaces and posted them so be sure to check them out! seriously, she is AMAZING!!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!!

meet my new best friend!

2012-02-18T13:28:00.001-08:00

last month, i decided to sign up for the New Year Gift Exchange with Casey, Danielle & Alycia.
i was really excited to be a part of this great group of women and hopefully get to meet a new friends from it.

little did i know that i would end up meeting my blogging soul mate!

my gift exchange partner was Michelle and to say i have LOVED getting to know her is a complete understatement.
we are basically the same person!
seriously. the more i have gotten to know her the more i am amazed at how similar we are!

it has been such a huge blessing for me to get to meet Michelle and have her as a friend and confidant.
in just a short while, she has already been there for me so much by listening to me vent and giving me much appreciated advice on raising a very active little boy.

Michelle is also an incredibly talented seamstress and crafter.
for the gift exchange, Michelle sent me this beautiful t-shirt scarf/necklace and headband.
i have worn at least one of them almost every day since i’ve received them.

and Michelle’s description of it:
“it’s just something i made really fast one night from old t-shirts.”
like it was not a big deal at all to whip something up last minute to send to a stranger in Utah.
yeah she’s seriously talented!

you should see her up-cycled sweater series that she did on her blog.
it’s awesome!!

so even though we both incredible procrastinators {and busy mamas} and didn’t get our gifts to each other on Jan. 31st, it has still be an awesome experience and i know i’ve made a great lifetime friend.
as Michelle put it once, i’m not in it for the gifts or the followers. i’m in it to make friends.

and i’m so glad i got to become such great friends with Michelle and other great bloggers.
it has made this whole “blogging experience” SO worth it!!

getting rid of should

2012-02-17T10:01:00.000-08:00

i am excited to be hosting the Living the Right Life series with Ashley.
this is something i've been wanting to talk about for a long time but for one reason or another {mainly fear} i haven't addressed some of these honest and tough issues.
but through this series, i felt the encouragement i needed to open up more and share about some of my struggles.

the Living the Right Life series is also now a link-up for everyone! each Friday (or any other day after that), we encourage you to share your triumphs or struggles with the "shoulds" in your life and help push each other in the right direction.

i feel guilty about everything.

i feel guilty if i don't have the house clean when Adam comes home.
i feel guilty letting Elijah watch TV.

i feel guilty not responding to emails on time.

i feel guilty that i can't keep up with everything and everyone.

i feel guilty when i don't truly enjoy Elijah. or if i don't think i play with him enough.

just guilt, overwhelming & painful guilt.

this was one of the first things i talked to my counselor about when i started going to therapy.

i told him how i didn't feel like i measured up to the other mothers around me.

and how most days i feel like a failure.

i told him i know i should be happy

i should enjoy being a mom

i should be recognizing my blessings more

and i should not be so upset all the time.

then he said, "'should' needs to be a swear to you from now on. think of 'should' as the worst possible swear word you could ever say. and stop using it in your thought process."

he continued to explain to me that the only thing "should" was doing for me was making me feel worse. in some cases, "should" can be a motivating word and encourage people to try to be better or work harder.

but the way i was using it, it was debilitating me.

instead of being a motivation tool, it was a way for me to point out all of my faults and focus on what i was doing wrong instead of what i was doing right.

my counselor told me instead of saying "should" i need to either 1. be okay with the fact that i'm not doing something and move on or 2. change the behavior.

and that's what i've been trying to do.

so Eli watched 2 episodes of "Super Why" this morning.
and i didn't make breakfast for us so we snacked on cereal instead.

and when Elijah is whining and i'm too tired, sometimes i give him suckers to make him happy and give me a minute to breathe.

this is what i do sometimes.

maybe i shouldn't be doing it. but it's over now. it's already done.

and all i can hope is that i will try better the next day.

i'm not always good at remembering to just be okay with things.

but i'm trying.

i'm trying to show my family that i love them & care about them.

i'm trying to be more accepting of myself.

and i'm doing my best to learn to just be happy. {not guilty}

and really, doesn't that matter more than stressing over making heart shaped pancakes??

celebrating Arizona’s birthday/engagement anniversary/Valentine’s Day

2012-02-16T22:51:00.001-08:00

there’s a lot to celebrate on February 14th!
and in honor of the special day, Adam planned an awesome surprise date for Monday
[since Adam worked late Tuesday]
i LOVED it!

for our special date, Adam took me to an art studio at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, Utah called Holdman Glass Studios where we made our own glass flowers.
it was pretty much the coolest thing i have ever done!!

while we waited for our turn, we looked at all the different commissions that they have done all over the world including numerous LDS temples, restaraunts, museums, churches, personal homes and a stained glass rendition of Carl Bloch’s painting “Christ Healing at the Pool of Bethesda.”
so yeah, they’re really talented!

and then we got to make our flowers!

here’s a little step-by-step action Adam took.

first, they heat up a hot ball of glass in the furnace. then we flattened it out with a spatula.

then we just started pulling around the edges of the flattened ball to make the “petals.”

and we kept pulling…

and pulling….

and pulling until it looked just right. the glass starts to cool down so you have to work fast.

then we pulled on the flower part to make a long stem at the bottom. then, you could choose to keep it straight or turn the pole to make it curly. then they cut it off and let it cool and in the end it will look something like this:

[via]
{we’re picking up ours tomorrow}

so yep, coolest.date.EVER!!
GOLD STARS to Adam for coming up with an amazing date
:)

for more information about the Holdman Art Studio you can visit their Facebook page here or their website here

i love doing new things with Adam!
i love that he is so willing to search out new activities and adventures for us to try out together.
i love all the things we have done so far together and i look forward to the many years we have to do more stuff.
i am so glad he chose me to be on this journey with.
he’s incredible and i wouldn’t want to spend Arizona’s birthday/Valentine’s day with anyone else but him!

so what did you do to celebrate Arizona’s birthday?
oh yeah and St. Valentine.

Rex Lee Run

2012-02-15T15:30:00.001-08:00

this is for all you Utah readers!

President Rex E. Lee was a law clerk for former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Byron White, the United States Solicitor General, and the 10th president of Brigham Young University from 1989-1995.
on March 11, 1996, he died at the age of 61 after battling with lymphoma.

each year, the BYU Cancer Research Center holds the Rex Lee Run in President Lee’s honor with all donations going towards cancer research.

there will be a 5k for $15
and a 10k for $20
[$5 additional for registering the day of the race]

you can register either at the booth in the BYU Wilkinson Student Center from
March 12-16 from 10am-3pm
or you can register online at
REXLEERUN.BYU.EDU

i’m trying to convince Adam to have us all ~~walk~~ run as a family
[and get the okay from doctor because of the accident]
so if you are going to go, let me know and maybe we’ll see each other!

for more information you can go to the Rex Lee Run website

a message to young girls: by Rachel

2012-02-15T10:03:00.001-08:00

i know Marriage Week is technically over but there was still one last message to share.
Rachel is the creative genius behind Hidden Beauty Photography. at only 16 years old, she is incredibly talented and has a great eye for finding the beauty in all of her subjects.
not only is she talented, but she also is incredibly sweet, kind, and wise beyond her years.

Rachel sent me this message about what she hopes girls know when it comes to dating.
i think as women, sisters, mothers it is our duty to help young girls around us understand this message as well.
so i wanted to share her thoughts with you in hopes that you can help influence young women [and men] you come in contact with.

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I feel that sometimes we teenagers need to be reminded of something very important:
we don't have to have a boyfriend/girlfriend.

I am 16 years old, and will be 17 in just about a month, and I have never kissed a boy, or even gone on a date with one. This isn't just because no boys ask me, this is by choice. Society puts too much pressure on us to date as soon as we can, and to have a steady boyfriend. This causes girls to settle, and sometimes make bad decisions, but it's perfectly fine to wait for something that's worth you, someone that shares your standards and morals, and one of the most important things, respects you.

As adults looking back, we're not going to want to tell our children we dated every jerk that asked us out, we're going to want to tell them how we stood up for ourselves and only dated when we knew we were ready, and we knew the person was worth it. Because, believe it or not, who we date, kiss, and marry, will probably define who we are. Some of my best friends kissed a boy because he took them on a date and he liked them, and people were pressuring them too. To this day, it's the thing they regret the most. The boys turned out to be jerks, the girls had to get away from them, and from now on they're going to have to live with the fact that their first kiss was wasted on a boy who just wanted to brag about kissing a girl.

One of the things I hear all the time when I tell people I've never kissed anyone, is that "it's just a kiss!" But, the thing is, it's not. Not to me. A kiss is one of the lighter forms of intimacy, and our first kiss is going to be one of the most important in our lifetimes. Regardless of how many boys we kiss, how memorable they are, our first kiss is one that we are guaranteed to remember forever. Personally, I would rather wait a long time and have a special kiss, one that I won't regret, then kiss the first slimy frog that shows up lips first.

What we do now is important and we don't have to go along with what everyone else says. In fact, if we stand up for ourselves and our beliefs, people are going to respect us and admire us. Don't waste any time on a guy you are sure won't be good for you, don't waste your first kiss, your first date, just because it's taken so long for you to reach it. Hold out for someone special, and don't be ashamed of it! You'll be glad you did.

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i really appreciated Rachel’s words of wisdom.
she wrote more about this on her blog here.

as someone who did date a lot in high school, i do regret being so boy crazy and not focusing on getting to know who i truly was first.
[i have to make a quick note and say that most of the guys i dated weren’t and i am still friends with some of them]

i was Adam’s first girlfriend, his second kiss ever, and his first love.
and that means a lot to me.
i wish i had waited for Adam and had that special first kiss with him instead of others.
and that’s something that i will always teach my own children.
because all the heartbreak and drama before Adam came along really wasn’t worth it!

thank you Rachel for sharing your message with us!!
be sure to check out her photography blog and her facebook page

he knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring and said…

2012-02-14T15:00:00.000-08:00

{look how young and fresh-faced we look. oh, pre E-monster life}

3 years ago today, Adam got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife for time and all eternity.
i said yes then and i would say yes all over again.

if i had known how wonderful life would be being married to Adam, i would’ve sucked up my pride and gotten married sooner!

i am so grateful Adam loved me enough to choose me to be his wife.
and he has constantly showed me love and compassion ever since the day we met.

i love you, Adam Benjamin Robinson!

and HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY & ARIZONA’S BIRTHDAY
to all of you!
make it a good one!

:::p.s. if you do read my old blog post announcing our engagement, please understand three things: 1. i was really excited, 2. i was trying to tell the story fast, and 3. my writing definitely was not top notch (not that it is now either but it was much worse then). i need to write out the whole story on my blog someday but just haven’t yet so that will do for now :)

gratitude: by Skye

2012-02-14T12:43:00.000-08:00

February 7th to 14th is National Marriage Week. to celebrate, some of my favorite bloggers and i will be sharing some our thoughts and stories about marriage to help encourage you to strengthen your own relationships. i hope these posts will help you nurture your own relationship and rekindle the love you have for one another.

i love Skye’s post!!
{well, i have honestly loved all the guest posts so far!}
but i definitely definitely needed to also be reminded by Skye’s post.
i hope you appreciate it as well!

this is my husband and me.

i know - we are like so cute and adorable, right? ;)

i tell people we literally met purely by chance at a housewarming party. he was a friend of a friend of a friend who decided at the last minute to come. but i'm pretty sure God was all over that.

we are quite literally the yin to each other's yang. he is disorganized and i'm a neat freak. he likes to keep stuff and i am a minimalist. he reminds me every day how lucky i am to be married to him and i thank God every day for sending him to me.

one thing we do that has been awesome at keeping the love a-goin in our marriage is to never take the other person for granted. i try to tell chris "thank you" a million times a day for even the littlest things that he knows are kind of his duty. like taking out the garbage. or folding a load of clothes. i never want him to resent me and be thinking "gosh i do all this stuff every day and she doesn't even notice!" none of that! so i just try to always say thanks thanks thanks every single chance i get!

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so simple yet so profound!
i have realized one too many times how i don’t take the time to tell Adam thank you for even the little things.
he works so incredibly hard for his family, going to school and work for almost 12 hours most days.
he stresses over his research and grades and figuring out financial aid so that he can know that he will be able to provide for me and Elijah. and what do i do once he comes home?? complain that Eli has been insane and i need a break and he should change diapers for the rest of the night.
yeah. not so good.
but after reading Skye’s post, i realize that gratitude is very much essential for relationships to be healthy!!

maybe you guys are all way better than me at showing your gratitude, but if you forget sometimes too than hopefully Skye’s post was a gentle reminder to show your loved ones how much you truly appreciate them!

and be sure to check out Skye’s blog and shop for more inspiration!

making love convenient: by Franchesca

2012-02-14T00:58:00.000-08:00

i really feel like all of these guest posts lately have been inspired just for me to remind me that i need to try a lot better in my own relationship.
Franchesca's post is no exception.
her gentle reminder about expression love to our husbands & other loved ones was exactly what i needed to hear!
and i think we all need the same reminder every now and then.

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Hi new friends! I'm Franchesca and I run a little blog called Small Bird Studios. I'm so excited to be a part of Megan's Marriage+Relationships series. I hope to encourage your heart today!!

I remember growing up wanting never to get married. I had seen too much to imagine it would ever make me happy.

I decided early on (I think I was seven) that I would grow up, become a missionary to Romania and adopt a lot of kids.

I also had quite the imagination because my life couldn't be more different.

After being an unruly, rebellious teenager I was saved by God's grace at 17. Life was never the same.

I met my soon-to-be husband at church. I was head over heels in love with this man.

We dated for four years, and married in 2006.

I remember always drawing him these ridiculous (I'll admit it) word drawings in fat crayola markers of "Pete+Fran Forever" with hearts all over them. He never made a big deal over them but he would take them and they'd make him smile.

One day after we'd been married a few years he asked me why I stopped making them. I am pretty sure he was half way joking, but I didn't have a good answer.

The butterflies and puppy love had been bull-dozed over by reality. Life. Bills. School. Problems.

It also wasn't practical anymore. Or convenient.

Okay let's fit a drawing in between cooking you supper and getting your lunch ready for the next day. And oh yeah, while I type my English paper.

Geez.

But it also hit me that my love - or my expression of love - for my husband had become only what was convenient for me.

Because let's face it, it wasn't convenient to spend hours on end drawing him useless love drawings then either. I just made time for it. He was worth it.

So why wasn't he now?
This always stuck with me.

I do admit it, I would feel silly sitting and drawing love hearts for him today, but every now and then I'll drop a short+sweet note in his lunch box or send a random text message when he least expects it.

When it's not convenient. And there are a million things to do.

Because he's worth it.

I made up a freebie, based on love+Valentine's Day that I hope you enjoy. To download you can right click or visit my Facebook page :)

Thank you Megan for your gorgeous heart and orchestrating this beautiful series on marriage and relationships. I am so blessed to be a part of it!!

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did some of you read that post and think to yourself, “oh my gosh, i do this!!”
yep, that was definitely me!
i felt lovingly rebuked when i read Franchesca’s post for the first time and felt pretty ashamed that i would really put other things first before my husband.
i hope we all remember to put our spouses and family first from now on.
because like Franchesca said, they are worth it!

be sure to check out Franchesca’s beautiful & inspirational blog here.

love notes or notes on love

2012-02-13T12:30:00.000-08:00

[photography by Kate Lines Photography]

today, i asked a few of my blogging friends & sponsors to share some of their thoughts/advice about marriage.
i really enjoyed what they had to say and i hope you all will be encouraged as you read their little snippets as well!

Marriage is not something that is ever easy, it's something that has to be worked at constantly. Marriage will test you and make you soar, but if you work hard at it… marriage is completely worth it. In a marriage you can grow together or you can grow apart, make it to where you grow together. Talk, communicate & spend time together. Because marriage is beautiful.
-Cassie from Live.Laugh.L0ve

Some of the best relationship advice was given to us the night before we got married. It was from my aunt and it has always stuck with us. She said, "Never say the word divorce. If you don't ever say it, then it never becomes an option." I think that is so true. There are going to be times when you will want to joke about it, consider it seriously, or even feel like it's a way out. But if you never say it, if you never let it become an option, then you can always find a way to work through it.

Also, I hope couples who are about to make the transition from "husband and wife" to "dad and mom" realize that it can be a difficult one on a marriage. Not only are you now sleep deprived, put into different roles, managing new expectations, and caring for a new little person, but your relationship changes deeply. For me, some of these changes were welcome while others weren't. And this is coming from someone who loved marriage, who wanted to spend every single second with my husband. We were married for several years before we had our daughter and it was still really rough for me. So expect that things won't stay the same but it doesn't have to be a bad thing. Just roll with the punches and know that communication is paramount during this time because you need to ensure that your views are heard and valued. Embrace this new time in your life and always make sure to set aside time to be "husband and wife" again.
-Jessica from Sebastian Design

Marriage means so much, yet so little to me. The relationship with my husband started when marriage was a definite "no way, never ever" in my mind and eventually, it grew to become something more. Something truly magnificent. Being married hasn't changed me, us, or him. But being together this long, and knowing we're in this for the long-haul, has changed me. And us. And him. We've grown with each other and experienced life in ways that sometimes I wished we hadn't, but it was always together. So while marriage itself has such little meaning in the relationship I have with my husband because it's never defined us as a couple, I'm proud to say I'm his wife. And I always will be.
-Ashley from After Nine to Five

i completely agree with everything that has been said!
thank you so much Cassie, Jessica, and Ashley for sharing your thoughts about marriage!
i hope you all were able to hear something that resonated with you and you can apply to your relationship.

defining a successful marriage: by Amanda

2012-02-12T20:37:00.000-08:00

February 7th to 14th is National Marriage Week. to celebrate, some of my favorite bloggers and i will be sharing some our thoughts and stories about marriage to help encourage you to strengthen your own relationships. i hope these posts will help you nurture your own relationship and rekindle the love you have for one another.

i am so happy to have Amanda from Royal Daughter Designs here today talking about how to have a successful marriage. her message really hit me and has helped me redefine what i hope to have in my own marriage and refocus my relationship goals.

i'm so grateful Amanda took the time to share her amazing insight and wisdom about marriage. i really how you take the time to read her post because i know it will truly help you in your own relationships!

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Blogging about having a successful marriage is a daunting task. My husband and I are blessed with a very happy marriage (we both write "happily" when asked to designate our marital status!), and while our six years of marriage have seen plenty of heartache - and plenty of joys - I have to admit, it is a little intimidating to try to write about having a godly, successful marriage. My husband is a minister, and a theology professor at a seminary (that's a school for pastors). I am beyond blessed to be married to a godly man of honor. And honestly, the best advice I can give anyone seeking a "successful" marriage is this:

"If you want a godly marriage, marry a godly person."

The fact that I am married to a man who diligently strives for godliness really adds to the "success" of our marriage.

If you're like me, you probably have never sat down and defined what marital "success" means to you. You probably have an idea of what success means to you as it pertains to education, career or business, and social standing, but have you ever taken the time to sit down with your spouse to define what a "successful" marriage means to you? A few weeks ago David and I went on a date - a rare occurrence these days! You see, in September we became first time "parents" to three foster boys, ages 10, 11, and 15. We learned pretty quickly that date night is a luxury when you have kids!

While we were driving to the restaurant, I asked David what his definition of a successful marriage is. He responded, "selfless love that perseveres." I asked him to elaborate, and he explained, "a successful marriage is one where two people persevere in their self-sacrificing and mutually submissive love for one another." That sounds like an answer from a theology professor, doesn't it?

David and me in May, 2010

Ultimately, having a successful marriage means so much more than just still being married when you're 80. For us, it's even more than just being "happily" married. It's about nurturing unconditional love for one another. Daily sacrificing in order demonstrate our love for each other. Daily submitting to the needs and wants of the other. Daily seeking to love without boundaries. That's really hard, you know? The only thing that I would add to David's definition is that the ultimate purpose of a successful marriage is to bring glory to God.

In the end, it's not about the romance, the shared assets, and peacefully passing away in each others arms (yeah, I'm a sucker for the Notebook). It's about glorifying Christ through my life and through our marriage. David and I have been married for six and a half years. That conversation on the way to our date was the first time that we defined what a successful marriage means to us.

David and me at our wedding in 2005.

Let me encourage you take some time with your husband or wife and discuss what a successful marriage means to each of you. If we never define what "success" in marriage is, how will we know what we're hoping, striving, and praying for?

Thanks for having me today, Megan. I am thankful for the oportunity to reflect on my own marriage, and to begin praying for what we hope our marriage will be. I'm so glad you took the oportunity to focus on marriage this week - I can't wait to see what other nuggets of wisdom will be shared

About Amanda: Amanda's marks "happily" when asked to denote her marital status. She is currently pursuing a Masters of Arts in Church Ministries in order to prepare herself for full time ministry to seminary student wives. She and her husband, David, are foster parents to three boys, and are learning first hand what it means to follow the Lord in unrehearsed obedience. She blogs about her faith, and the misadventures of raising three rowdy boys at DAES of Our Lives. Additionally, she is owner and designer of Royal Daughter Designs.

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wasn't her post amazing!?
Amanda, i cannot thank you enough for sharing your message on my blog and helping me in my own marriage. i truly appreciate your insight!
on our Valentine's date, i am definitely going to ask Adam to define a successful marriage too!

be sure to check out Amanda's personal blog DAES of Our Lives and her design blog Royal Daughter Designs. she is incredibly talented and you will grow to love her as much as i do!

Love Inspiration

2012-02-11T21:46:00.001-08:00

i can’t remember if i’ve showed this video already
but i love it!

this is such a beautiful message and example of actively showing love to each other.
and if you look close, you can see this cute girl and her husband.

Saturday Favorites

2012-02-11T14:09:00.001-08:00

[ shirt, blazer, and shoes: thrifted, scarf: gift, pants: Forever 21 clearance]

i seriously really suck at posting pictures for my 30x30x under $30 challenge.
so sorry for the random updates every now and then!

i don’t really know how i feel about this outfit… i think i should’ve either just worn the blazer or just worn the scarf. but both together i think looks weird. thoughts??

i am really glad i did the challenge though.
it has really helped me see my closet in a whole new light. as in, i actually have clothes to wear and can make lots of different outfits from.
i think it’s a good challenge for everyone to do to kind of reboot their closet in a way.

okay now on to my favorite links this week!

i thought i’d keep with the Marriage Week theme and share some links to websites that help promote marriage and relationships!

first, i have to give a shout out to StrongerMarriage.org! if you haven’t visited their website before, they have tons of great articles to help strengthen your relationships not matter what stage you are in [dating, engaged, married with or without kids, re-marriage, and so on] They are a great resource and also have free online classes and surveys to help you in your relationship.

next, Lindsey Orton Photography has teamed up with some other wedding vendors to portray Disney Princess Brides. her pictures are absolutely stunning!! so far they’ve done Jasmine, Snow White, and Pocahontas. her work is amazing and i love to see their rendition of what each princess would look like if they were getting married. you seriously need to check it out!

another great website for couples is TwoOfUs.org. i love how they tie in entertainment couple news with real-life stories and quizzes. it’s a great website to check out and browse when you get the chance.

if you are still looking for a Valentine’s gift, you should look at Skye’s shop and her beautiful designs. i want this really really bad. and i’m excited to be getting my own subway art print soon!

if you didn’t see my below post, i was featured in Leslie Blake Magazine’s wedding issue sharing some advice to newlywed couples. basically it’s an incredible dream come true and i feel so blessed that they included me!
my article is on pg. 39 of this month’s issue.

Lelaini over at Soleil Solene is also celebrating Marriage Week and i have really enjoyed reading her insights about marriage and hearing her personal stories.

my friend is needing help with another survey for married couples. if you are married and have a few minutes, could you please take the time to take his survey??
you can find it here.

[via]

i love Mary Kate’s post about marriage and how her and her husband keep their relationship healthy. and aren’t her wedding pictures beautiful!!

and okay so this isn’t about marriage but this post by Cassie made me cry so i had to highlight it. especially when i read it right before Elijah woke up in the middle of the night and wouldn’t go back to be for over an hour. and then he broke one of our glass bowls today and smashed his crackers into fine little crumbs all over our floor…. yeah. i definitely needed that reminder! please read it and be prepared to want to go hug and squish your baby all day.

i hope you are all having a great weekend!!
and getting an early start to your Valentine’s Day!

::: p.s. please remember to take this survey for my cousin and be entered to win a prize! and if you’re not surveyed out, please please also take this one. thanks!!

Leslie Blake Magazine

2012-02-10T16:47:00.001-08:00

[source]

so basically i’m completely freaking out right now.
i don’t even really know how to process this much excitement.

let me start from the beginning,
a few days ago, i received an email from the editor of Leslie Blake Magazine [an online magazine that talks about fashion, entertainment, lifestyle, and more] asking me if i would be interested in writing an article for newlyweds to be published in their wedding issue to be published in a couple of days.

uh, yeah i would!!

it was all done really fast and all seemed so surreal.
and then this morning i received an email saying,
“the magazine was published!”

I’M PUBLISHED!!!!
like i said, i am seriously freaking out.

you can read my article called “Why Isn’t My Marriage Like the Movies?” on pg. 39 of the Leslie Blake Magazine AND view my picture on pg. 21 on the contributor’s page.
contributor!!

i feel so incredibly blessed!
this has been a total dream of mine for years and the fact that i was able to be featured in a magazine is just amazing.
i know it is all because of the Lord and He has truly been blessing me and my family!

please check it out here and tell me what you think!
:)

to love and to cherish

2012-02-09T21:57:00.001-08:00

February 7th to 14th is National Marriage Week. to celebrate, some of my favorite blog friends and I will be sharing some of our thoughts and stories about marriage to help encourage strengthening your relationship. I hope these posts will help you to nurture your own relationship and rekindle the love you have for one another.

this is another favorite post i originally wrote for the Stronger Marriage Blog.

On the anniversary of 9/11, my husband and I were mad at each other. Like, pretty contentious mad. Feelings were hurt, we were annoyed with each other, and there was just a huge problem with communication the whole day. And to make the situation worse, he was leaving to go out of town for an interview the next day.

I am not proud of this day.

At one point, after we both kind of snapped, I laid in bed reading and looking at websites on my phone because I couldn’t sleep. I knew I should apologize, I knew I was being petty, I knew a lot the argument was my fault, but I have a really big problem with pride and I really hate caving in.

While I was perusing Facebook and different blogs, I started reading all the different posts people wrote about remembering 9/11 and honoring those who died. I then remember reading one blog post in particular saying that the biggest lesson they learned from the 9/11 attacks was to hold your loved ones close and to cherish them.

I’m sure you can guess what happened next. I felt so guilty! I realized what a huge jerk I was being and that I really wasn’t cherishing my husband at all! I immediately got up, swallowed my pride, and went to my husband to ask for forgiveness.

At that point, it didn’t matter whose fault it was or who was meaner to whom. What mattered is that we loved each other & cared for each other but just lost sight of what we have for a second. I knew I needed to show my husband how much I cared and how much I truly loved him.

Jason Carroll and Elizabeth VanDerBerghe taught, “Love is something we do, something we can control, and ultimately something we can choose.”

So my question to you is this: How often do we all lose sight of what really matters? How often do we all forget to truly cherish our loved ones in our every day actions through life? How often do we say I love you? Or give hugs? Or give kisses?

I know I have a lot to work on! I’m definitely not perfect. But I know that if I try hard to keep that long-term perspective of what life, marriage, and family is all about, I will be able to more fully cherish and love those close to me.

What are some ways you try to keep your loved ones close and cherish them often?

The Weird Sisters

2012-02-09T15:29:00.001-08:00

well, BlogHer Book Club did it again and picked a great book to review!

“The Weird Sisters” is about 3 sisters who don’t quite get along. And even though they all went off to go for their dreams, they each end up back in the same small town because of their mother’s illness.

there were many things i loved about this book:

1. Eleanor Brown effortlessly weaves in excerpts from Shakespeare in the characters’ everyday conversation. it was so creative and made me feel really smart when i recognized which story it was from. i love when authors draw on history and literature in their own stories!

2. the narrarator of the story is made to be the voice of all three sisters collectively. again, i thought it was really creative and made the story more interesting and easier to read. i liked having one voice telling the whole story instead of switching back and forth between all three perspectives. instead it was consistent and clear the whole time.

and 3. i loved this book because you could find yourself in each of the sisters. {not that everyone is promiscuous or likes to smoke pot…} the point is the feelings & insecurities each of the sisters have that influences their choices are very relatable to how we all experience life.

i know i have said this about a lot of the BlogHer Book Club books, but i really did extremely enjoy this book and am so happy to add it to my collection.

if you love Shakespeare {or even if you don’t}
and you have sisters {or even if you don’t}
and you grew up in a small town {or even if you didn’t},
i highly recommend this book for you to check out soon!!

[and if you do read it, i’m curious: which sister would you be?]

This was a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.

also, don’t forget to check out Erika’s guest post below AND fill out the survey to be entered to win a gift!

a survey & a giveaway

2012-02-09T11:30:00.000-08:00

i have a big favor to ask all of you
and you will get something in return!

my cousin is currently attending Brigham Young University and is in the business program.
he needs some help with a project and that’s where you all come in!

could you please take the time to fill out this survey?
it would be SO amazing if you wouldn’t mind taking the time to do it.
p.s. i took it in about 3 minutes so it really won’t take long!

as a thank you to all who participated in the survey, my cousin’s wife Marissa from Home Sweet Homebodies would like to offer you
a homemade knitted headband of your choice!

k, not only are those headbands adorable, but isn’t Marissa gorgeous??

at the end of the survey, make sure you put your name/email address AND which blog you found the survey from in order to be entered into the giveaway for the headband.

even if you don’t want to be entered into the giveaway, will you PLEASE still take the survey?
it would be very helpful and again took less than 5 minutes!!

AND!
to make the deal even sweeter {and because i really want to help my cousin out,}
if you take the survey and comment on the post below, i will personally send you a Valentine’s Day surprise as a thank you!

so get to surveying!!

a lesson in marriage: by Erika

2012-02-08T22:13:00.001-08:00

today’s post is by Erika from Rouge & Whimsy. i was really excited when Erika agreed to share a lesson she learned about marriage {especially when she said it was kind of funny} because 1. i love Erika, 2. she’s a great writer, and 3. i couldn’t wait to hear what embarrassing/funny story she had to dish out.
but seriously, her lesson is one that we all need reminding of. i hope you enjoy!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My biggest marriage lesson happened at the wedding.

I got married on one of the hottest days of the year in Seattle. Now, before you scoff, it was over 100 degrees at my 5 p.m. wedding. We were outside, me in a ginormous white gown, my husband in a black tux and the wedding party in black dresses and suits.
And in the summer in Seattle the sun doesn't go down until after 9 p.m., which meant that at 5 p.m. the sun was still beating full-bore.

I could feel sweat running down my back as my husband and I faced each other, clasping each others' hands as we began to say our vow.

until

we were interrupted by a noise most of you would be familiar with.

the noise of someone vomiting.

my brother, who happened to be one of those groomsmen, was kneeling in the grass and throwing up.

During our vows.

My dad jumped up fast and got him some water but needless to say my idea of the perfect wedding was ruined. My brother was fine-- after a sip of water, he stood up and we continued with the service, but needless to say-- the moment was different.

Different, not bad, but different.

And this lesson for marriage has taught me that sometimes things don't go exactly as we plan them. We want things to be perfect all the time-- and that's not possible. Things happen--someone may throw up-- and our expectations need to change.

My lesson learned for marriage and for real life is don't sweat the small stuff. While you'll make plans and have an idea of what you want your marriage to be or your job to be or your life to be, things are going to happen and you're going to have to adapt.

And the joy of marriage is that when those things happen-- and someone pukes-- you get to face it together.

Thanks for having me Megan!

I blog at rougeandwhimsy.blogspot.com, my shop is rougeandwhimsy.etsy.com and you can follow me on twitter as @rougeandwhimsy

---------------------------------------------------------------------

thank YOU Erika for sharing your story with us!
your poor brother!!! i feel so bad for him and yet i laughed so hard.
i love how Erika was able to have such a positive outlook on the ordeal and take it as a lesson learned instead of letting it ruin everything.
i hope you all enjoyed the post as well and were reminded to not sweat the small stuff!

Y Ball

2012-02-08T11:14:00.001-08:00

on friday, Adam and i had a little date night to the Y Ball, a free dinner and dance for married couples put on by BYU.
we almost didn’t go.
i was feeling stressed because i had to catch up on a lot of emails and such and i was just tired from an exhausting week with Elijah and Adam was wanting to just relax at home for the night.

but then i got to thinking and realized that:
1. i could really use a break from Elijah since i was kind of hating motherhood that week,
and 2. if i was really going to prioritize my life, then i needed to be okay with making people wait and spend quality time with my husband and strengthen our bond.

needless to say, i’m really REALLY glad we decided to go and have giddy fun for a night!
it was much much needed since we hadn’t been on a date for a while and it reminded me of all the fun we used to have when we were dating.
by the way, Adam is a great dancer! pretty much my favorite part of the night.

it was pretty much just a typical dance with a photo booth, magician, contortionist, acrobat, bingo game & a rendition of On My Own from Les Miserables. {?!?}
yep. you read that right.
it was so weird and crazy but SO much fun!!

[photo booth pictures]

the theme was “wedding reception” {who has acrobats at their wedding reception though??} and they had this little archway set up for pictures. i thought it would be pretty awesome if took jumping pictures instead of just standing there like everyone else.
boooooooooring.

[prepping]

[and fail!]

yeah, it didn’t work.
so we decided to be boring and traditional instead.

[i can’t for the life of me fix our crazy eyes from this phone picture. oh well.]

i love Adam!
i’m so glad we got to go out and act like weirdos together.
there’s no one else i’d rather attempt to take jumping pictures with.
:)

with the celebration of Marriage Week, i thought it would be fun to find out what are some of your favorite dates [married or not married]?
what do you like to do to spend time together?

taking responsibility for yourself

2012-02-07T21:21:00.001-08:00

[photography by Kate Lines Photography]

i wrote this post originally for the Stronger Marriage Blog. it’s one of my favorite posts {and something i feel very strongly about} so i wanted to repost it during Marriage Week.

Free Will—we all have it. It’s our capacity to choose a course of action from various options. But do we take responsibility for our actions? Are we “moral agents?” How does this relate to making your relationship healthy?

Being a moral agent means we have the choice to do what is good or right or do what is bad or wrong, etc. We are each responsible for our choices whether it be to love someone, to get angry, to be offended, or to be understanding.

For example, a common phrase you hear people say is, “I have a short temper.” The funny thing about this phrase is that it literally doesn’t make sense. Is there a temper muscle or bone that is shorter on you than on others? No, in a way, it’s just an excuse. Instead of putting the responsibility on yourself to control your temper, you tell others that you “have a short temper” and put the responsibility on them to not make you angry. And essentially you are saying to others, “This is how I am, so now you deal with it.”

But this is not how it should be. Instead, we need to understand that we have control of our emotions, our actions and our choices. We can choose to get upset easily or be more understanding.

This became essential to me in my relationship when I realized I was constantly using the excuse, “I’m really sensitive.” Though it’s true that I don’t respond well to criticism, it is something that I can have control over. Previously, every time my husband and I would get into an argument, I would immediately get offended, blame my husband for hurting me, and tell myself it was his entire fault.

Even though my husband probably could be nicer, a lot of times after I calmed down and we would discuss things rationally, I would realize that he was trying to be nice but I blew it out of proportion. I chose to be offended by his words, got defensive, and didn’t listen to his side of the story. In short, I blamed him for not remembering that I was sensitive and he was supposed to adjust his actions accordingly.

How often do we do this in relationships? We tell ourselves that it’s not our fault for our reactions and emotions. But what we should be really saying to ourselves is, “I tend to get angry quicker. How could I do better?” Of course, it’s probably a good idea to let our partners know that we have some weaknesses. But not so they can beware, but instead to let them know that we are aware of our faults and are trying to do better.

Most problems can be solved if we: 1. Realize we are in control of our emotions, 2. Take responsibility for our actions and behaviors, and 3. To be mature and have perspective in the relationship.

What are some tips you have to be more active in taking responsibility in the relationship?

National Marriage Week

2012-02-07T12:10:00.001-08:00

[photos by Kate Lines Photography]

February 7th to 14th of every year is National Marriage Week.
it is part of Marriage Week International where 16 different countries have encouraged local leaders and communities to work together to support and strengthen marriages in their countries.

the mission of marriage week is to “encourage many diverse groups to strengthen individual marriages, reduce the divorce rate, and build a stronger marriage culture, which in turn helps curtail poverty and benefits children.”

i first heard about National Marriage Week when i first started working with StrongerMarriage.org.
i was really impressed that there was a national movement to help strengthen marriages.
even if it doesn't get much attention.

quite simply, marriage works. {if you choose to make it work!}
there have been numerous studies that have shown tons of physical, spiritual, economical, psychological (and more!) benefits to marriage.
[you can find a list of 30 benefits to marriage here.]
but besides research, many people will personally attest to the benefits of marriage and having a life-long companion to help you through the good and bad times.

this week, in honor of National Marriage Week, i will be sharing posts & articles all about marriage.
i also am really excited to have some of my close, bloggy friends share their own thoughts & tips on marriage.

i hope you will join me this week in helping to promote stronger marriages and relationships!
this is a topic that is dear to my heart
and i sincerely hope that this week many of you will feel inspired & uplifted to strengthen your own relationships!

you can find more information about National Marriage Week here
and if you’re in Utah and would like to participate in local marriage events and classes visit here.

a California wedding in film

2012-02-05T23:06:00.001-08:00

for Christmas, Adam got me a really nice Canon film camera.
me and Adam both commented how we love to hear the shutter *click*
it makes us feel totally legit
:)

these pictures are from my brother-in-law’s wedding which i know is super late but we just barely got the pictures developed. [film is not for lazy people like me, p.s.]
and i absolutely LOVE how they turned out so i still wanted to share!

so a little wedding recap!

[Kristina & Nathan just coming out of the temple and our niece Camilla]

[clapping when they came out of the temple]

[our nephew Dane]

[Adam’s dad and Dane]

[story of our life]

[Oakland, California temple]

[Holli]

[Adam’s brother, Josh]

i think there was a little dust on the lens but all in all i liked them!

the guy that Adam bought the camera from gave him a bunch of film too but some of it was expired.
i actually love how the expired film makes the pictures look though, kind of old and vintage-y in a way.
it will be fun to test it out some more and learn how to use it better.

do any of you use film cameras?
do you have any tips for me?
do you like digital over film cameras or does film have it’s benefits?
i’m kind of loving film a lot more!

note: i’m incredibly behind on emails. mainly my own doing by putting them off and going on a date with my lover instead. but “irregardless” i know i have a lot to catch up on! so please know i’m doing my best. and giveaway winners, i will be emailing you and all the sponsors tomorrow. so sorry!
p.s. who knows what “irregardless” is from??

Inspiration

2012-02-05T14:46:00.001-08:00

this week was tough.
there were many emotional breakdowns and self-doubts.

but today, i felt the Lord’s love so strongly that i could not deny my testimony that He is real and He hears me.
the words that kept coming to mind today as i reflected on this last week were the words of the late apostle Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin,
“Sunday will come.”

i love this video & i love his message.
i remember hearing him give this talk for the first time my freshman year of college when i was struggling terribly.
my best friend Holli (now my sister-in-law) came down from BYU-Idaho and i was talking to her before conference about all the pain and sadness that seemed to consume me.
then we heard this talk and i knew the Lord had answered my prayers through His prophets and apostles.

i am not perfect at remembering this message all the time.
but there are times, like today, where i can hear them speaking quietly in my mind,
“Sunday will come.”

i hope you take the time to listen to this message and find the peace you may need on this Sabbath day.

Winners!!

2012-02-04T13:03:00.001-08:00

in the midst of all my prioritizing and simplifying, i accidentally kept putting off choosing the winners for the big 500 follower giveaway!
sorry.

so without further ado, here they are!

$20 shop credit to Beck-A-Boo Crafts…
JESSICA SEBASTIAN!!

$20 gift card to Target from Our DIY Diaries…
ERYKA ANN CLARK!!

orange and neutral beaded necklace from Rhi’s Designs…
HEATHER ELLSWORTH!!

handmade beanie in color of your choice from Alisha & Brandon…
MONIQUE PREVOST!!

blog design or ad space from Little Miss Nerd Girl…
MIRANDA C!!

blog 101 e-book from After Nine to Five…
CAT O’CONNOR OLSON!!

ad space from Jenni. Austria. Germany…
SARAH @ YES TEACHER CRAFTS!!

blog design and ad space from Royal Daughter Designs…
REMY!!

$30 shop credit from Along for the Ride…
SARAH CROOKS!!

$15 shop credit from From the Guest Room…
AMANDA ERICKSON!!

pretty zipper pouch from Polkadot Pretties…
TYFFANI EASTERLING!!

medium ad space from Boyish Chic…
SKYE McCLAIN!!

print of your choice from Cinnamon Ink…
MICHELLE PARROTT!

bow hair clip from Sea of Blooming Dreams…
LEDAWN PACE!!

$15 shop credit from Whimsical Poppysmic…
JENNI AUSTRIA GERMANY!!

large ad space from Finding the Beauty in the Ordinary…
CASSIE @ LIVE.LAUGH.LOVE!!

$50 design credit from Small Bird Studios…
ALLISON LUNDSTROM!!

earrings of choice from Mama’s Nest Designs…
WHITNEY FREEMAN!!

$25 shop credit from Miss Mommy…
STACIE JONES!!

large ad space from My Unrehearsed Life…
ALLISON SULLIVAN!!

$10 starbucks gift card from Keeping Up with the Cantelmos…
KAITY BROWN!!

whew!!!!
that was a crazy long list!
CONGRATULATIONS!!

and i just want to tell everyone who entered
thank you thank you thank you!!
this giveaway was by far the biggest yet and i couldn’t have done it without you.
so thank you sincerely!!

HAPPY SATURDAY!!

Saturday Favorites

2012-02-04T11:19:00.001-08:00

HAPPY WEEKEND!

i have to admit, i was definitely counting down to the weekend and couldn’t wait until we could all just relax and Adam could be home with us.
it seemed to be really ironic that the week i planned on talking about simplicity & prioritizing ended up being a crazy, psycho week with a crazy, psycho toddler that resulted in my first anxiety attack.
awesome.

i have just now realized that the reason why this week had been extra insane may have been the Lord’s way of testing me to see if i would truly heed His promptings that i felt on Sunday.
to see if i would truly remember Him and learn to be happier in the midst of my trials.
point taken.

so now that i can relax, i wanted to share some of my favorite links i found.

first, i love this post from one of my newest sponsors on how life is like a photograph.
also, this amazing photographer is only 16 years old!! talk about talent!

i love how Kristine talks about being intentional in our lives and reaching our goals.

Jillian has gotten me all excited about spring and spring fashion after her post.

and also, can i please have this ring!? thank you very much!
also, Jillian’s nails! i love them.
[hint Adam! Valentine’s present….]

i want these chocolates too. so if you win, please send them my way :)

i LOVE reading about Rebecca’s projects. she describes them like it was so effortless to do. but really if i try any of the stuff she does, i would probably end up in tears within minutes. so instead i live vicariously through her talents.

Sarah from A Lost Feather always has the most GORGEOUS pictures. i follow her on Instagram too and somehow her phone pictures are always way better than mine. i’m obsessed.

yes.

i love this. i love Tahnie. i love her little girl. i love her optimism & hope. you should too. have you donated yet?

i needed to read this post today. i love Alexis for sharing her life and opening up. it has helped me in countless ways.

totally jealous of Mindy’s awesome finds this week at an estate sale!! i need to get out more.

and finally,
Franchesca’s post about how she has coped with the loss of her daughter brought tears to my eyes.
i love her raw, honest feelings and how they’ve changed. i can’t imagine losing my baby and all the pain that must cause. i love Franchesca’s courage to open up about such a hard topic. she truly is amazing and i feel blessed to know her!

elimination

2012-02-03T00:34:00.001-08:00

[shirt & pants: Forever 21 on sale forever ago, blazer: thrifted, shoes: Target on sale, necklace: c/o CCY Designs]
i thought i’d do a 30x30 under 30 update along with the post. you know, kill two birds with one stone style.

at the beginning of this week i was nervous that i wouldn't have enough to say about simplifying my life.
now, i'm afraid i have too much to say and i'm sad to see that this week is already over!
but don't worry, i'll probably still talk about it some more from time to time.

lately i've realized how much my life is completely filled with distractions.
facebook
twitter
radios
tv
computers
iphone
even blogging.
it's kind of disturbing when i really think about all the different things that take up my time that are really unnecessary.

besides the computer {which is kind of obvious for everyone, really} my phone is maybe-not-quite-so-surprisingly one of my biggest distractions.
i am constantly checking emails and facebook and twitter and instagram and google reader and playing boggle and monopoly...
i mean really, it's ridiculous.

after listing it all out it really does make it sound really crazy that i'm doing all those things on my phone during the day.
it's kind of disgusting actually.
and it really needs to stop.

i've tried to limit my phone use during the day while i'm home with Elijah.
::i hardly ever reply to emails on my phone unless it needs an immediate answer. and even then i would rather wait until i get on my computer [during nap times] to be able to respond.
::i've cut down on the number of games i'm addicted to which i'm proud about.
::i have limited my instagramming time down to checking it only every few days and only at night.
::and i have tried to limit the amount of times i check facebook or twitter on my phone because they are such a HUGE time waster. i was actually just thinking the other day the purpose of facebook or twitter. i mean think about it, we sit there and stare at a screen just watching people's statuses update? why? why do we have to know what people are thinking constantly? i mean, i like keeping in touch with my friends but i don't need to spend 2 hours just watching updates change every 3 minutes. not worth it.

there are times where i have thought to myself,
"why are you making time to play boggle before bed when you could be reading your scriptures?"
and it honestly made me ashamed.
ashamed that i am putting menial, non-consequential activities over strengthening my relationship with my Heavenly Father.

so i have decided to turn that around.
when i feel like i want to just sit, relax, and see how many times i can make the computer bankrupt in Monopoly, i have opened up my LDS Gospel Library app instead and started reading. {which is one thing the iphone is good for, reading in bed}

i'm not trying to say i'm perfect at this cause i'm not.
i know that i struggle with consistently reading my scriptures.
but when i consciously put away these distractions to study things that are virtuous, lovely, and of good report, i have realize how much smoother my life seems to go.

i am much happier.
i have more patience.
i have more energy.
i feel more motivated.
my life is quite honestly more simple and joyful when i put aside meaningless distractions and put my family and the Lord first.

now it’s your turn!
do you have any tips for simplifying your life?
what ways are you prioritizing your life to make you more happy?
link up your posts below!
[can be past or present posts]

and be sure to read the other posts on prioritizing here, here and here.

clearing my schedule

2012-02-02T17:09:00.001-08:00

[taken with film in California]

i’m trying to be okay if i don’t get a post done every day [or on time every day]
or don’t get my emails answered the minute they arrive in my inbox.

part of prioritizing my life and lowering the bar includes putting real life first.
blogging and all that comes with it sometimes makes me feel like i have this big weight on my shoulders.
like i am expected to do all these things that really have no point in the long run.
i hate feeling that way.
i hate feeling like lots of people rely upon me and i’ll let them down if i don’t email right away or post a picture from my week. it’s just a lot of pressure.
it’s kind of ridiculous really. it’s dumb that i let myself stress out for a “priority” that just started out for fun.
almost every day i think about quitting completely.

but i’m trying to tell myself that even if people do get frustrated, i should to not let it bother me.
i know what i’m doing is right for me & my family and that’s all that matters.

but sometimes i do feel guilty.
right now, i really want to apologize for not having a post for yesterday,
but then i think if i apologize it suggests that i’m at fault of something.
and taking care of my family shouldn’t be a fault.

so instead, i’m sorry if i disappointed you.
but i’m proud that i had a day where i didn’t worry about posts and pictures and emails and i could get real things done.

maybe not having posts every day or posting on time is a turn off for people.
and that’s okay if it is.
but in order for me to truly simplify my life, i also need to simplify my blog.
all the stress and pressure that i have been feeling has completely taken away the joy i used to get from sharing my story. and i miss it.
i miss feeling the excitement when i had something new to share
and the confidence i felt when i wrote something that was close to my heart.
i don’t get that very often because i feel pressure to do or be something else. and that something else turns out to be a lot more things that takes too.much.time.
because that’s how you play the game.

so, i’m kind of over it.
i don’t want my space to be like that.
and i feel really good that decision.

[i kind of feel like this post didn’t make a lot of sense since i was writing it quickly in between tantrums. but i think i got my point across okay…? :)]

Open to Interpretation

2012-02-02T07:57:00.000-08:00

i get really excited for the Open to Interpretation challenges that Amy, Erika, and Kayla put together.
it really helps me think outside the box with my clothes and be able to try new combinations to help my clothes feel like new again.

and once i saw this week’s challenge i knew exactly what i wanted to do with it.

so here’s the original:

J Crew

and here’s my interpretation:

[outfit under $30 :)]

i was happy with it!
even though i would really love a sweater like the original’s.
and that bag!!
but the one i have is good enough.

how would you replicate the original outfit?
how would you replicate it under budget?

be sure to link your outfit here!

lowering the bar

2012-01-30T23:08:00.001-08:00

[this picture is blurry. and maybe over pixelated? i don’t know much about pictures. but i just know that i love this one. it’s rare that i get a picture with my baby boy!]

one of my biggest struggles is saying no.
i want to help everyone and do everything and make everyone happy.
my friend Jessica tells me all the time, “you can say no! it’s okay. people will understand.”
and i know they will understand and be supportive, but I can’t handle it.

i set incredibly high expectations for myself. and it doesn’t help that i compare myself to others [or what i perceive from others] and use it to set my bar.
and after this last month, i realized how dangerously thin i spread myself causing me to nearly have another breakdown.

granted, things happened beyond my control [sicknesses & accidents]
but i could’ve stepped back.
at any moment i could’ve recognized my limits and stopped pushing myself. but i refused.

one night, Adam was trying to be sweet and wanted to cuddle and watch a movie.
instead of melting into his arms and enjoying the moment with him, i snapped at him, told him to give me my space, and that i was really stressed and needed to finish some work.

he just kind of looked at me and said, “what work do you have to be stressed about?”
nothing.
i had no honest reason to be stressed other than i expected more out of myself.
i had been creating all this turmoil & exhaustion for myself because of my own ridiculous expectations.

i could be reveling in the fact that i get to stay home with my son all day, have absolutely nothing on my schedule besides some work for my assistantship, and just relax.
but instead i tell myself i need to write this, and do that, and go here because that’s what good moms do!
and if i want to be a good mom, a good wife, a good blogger, a good friend, i need to do everything!

when i was going to therapy, my counselor pointed out my constant need to live up to some unrealistic ideal that i make for myself. and because of this unattainable bar i set for myself, there is no way for me to feel fulfilled or accomplished because nothing will ever be good enough.
and if i keep raising it, i will never allow myself to be happy with my life and my circumstances.

for a while i was very much aware of this problem and i felt like i did pretty well to keep it under control.
but it all came back to me recently.
so now that’s what i’m working on again.
i’m working on understanding my own limits.
i’m working on allowing myself to be human.
i’m working on putting my own needs at top priority.

in a way i think we all push ourselves to dangerous limits.
we expect too much out of ourselves and demand perfection instead of “just good enough.”
i know i struggle with this every.single.day.

i just read a quote tonight from this talk that really hit me.

“In all of these cases there should never be just two options:
perfection or giving up. When learning the piano, are the only
options performing at Carnegie Hall or quitting? No. Growth and
development take time. Learning takes time.”

i realize that i’m not allowing myself time to grow. instead, i’m expecting it RIGHT NOW!

so part of my simplifying is lowering my bar.
doing my best but staying within my limits.

i have a lifetime to learn and to grow.
i don’t need to waste all my energy, time, and emotions on things that won’t matter in the long run.

prioritizing my life

2012-01-30T11:46:00.001-08:00

about a month ago, the sweet Mary Kate of From the Guest Room and i started discussing ways that we wanted to simplify our lives and put our families first. we both realized that being rather “consumed” in this whole blogging world was taking its toll on our family lives and, quite honestly, our mental sanity.

it was quite refreshing to talk to someone else who was struggling like i was. i’ve noticed that as i’ve interacted more with other bloggers and shop owners, how much my confidence in myself has changed dramatically. what i once tried so hard to be as a writer/blogger, felt lost and thrown by the wayside for other tasks.

there are days where i feel like it’s impossible to keep up!
i feel stressed and tired and worn out for what really is nothing.

this weekend i finally broke down.
it was so random and unexpected but it was, quite honestly, a long time coming.
i was exhausted, i was stressed, i just mentally couldn’t take anymore!
i blew up at my husband, told him i hated my life, and just felt like crap.
i stewed and stewed and stewed.
and i didn’t even know why i was so mad!!
all i knew is that i wasn’t happy, i didn’t want to go through it anymore, and everyone else was to blame {of course!}

but then, come Sunday, i had the prompting that i greatly needed to hear.
i can change it.
i have the power, and the tools, to change how i am feeling.
i don’t have to be stressed, i don’t have to be overwhelmed, i don’t have to hate my life
[my life isn’t even that terrible! i was just so emotional!]
i have the power to gain better control of my life again & be happy.

when Mary Kate approached me and told me that she was having a difficult time as well, i finally felt like i wasn’t alone! and more than that, i felt NORMAL!
it was rare that i heard other people talking about their frustrations with trying to do it all
and even more rare to have them admit that they needed to change anything.
maybe they just don’t want to talk about it, or admit it, but what we realized is that there are more people than not that have the same challenges with prioritizing their lives!

this week, Mary Kate and i will be sharing our stories of how we decided to gain control of our lives and happiness by finding ways to simplify & prioritize our lives.
neither of us are experts by any means!
but we feel like we are in the thick of it and think there are many others who may be feeling the same way.

throughout this week, we will be sharing some more of our personal goals & the actions we have taken to cut out unnecessary noise that take away from our families & happiness.

and on Friday, we want to invite you to link up your own posts of how you have simplified your own lives to allow yourself to feel the greatest amount of happiness.
i hope you will join us!

HAPPY {RELAXING} MONDAY!

Hello Cantelmos!

2012-01-30T07:00:00.000-08:00

{i really wanted the title to rhyme and so that is what i came up with, albeit lame.}

i am excited to introduce Melanie from Keeping Up with the Cantelmos today!
Melanie is incredibly beautiful inside and out. she started her blog just a few short months ago and already has a large and loyal following! she is very inspirational to all women and i have loved getting to know her more!
she helps me realize that i am not alone in my own thoughts and struggles and is incredibly supportive with everything.

so without further ado, here’s Melanie!

How would your friends describe you?
My friends would say that I am sensitive, sweet, good listener, silly and a little random.

How long have you been married and what {honest} advice would you give to someone about to be married?
I have been married for almost two years. Our two years haven’t been easy. I went from being a single mom of one to being married with now having three kids. We have had a lot of adjustments to make but God is good and He has helped us along the way.

My marriage advice is to appreciate the sacrifices your spouse makes for you (even if they don’t appear to be sacrifices). I am not always good at this but I know Anthony (my husband) feels valued and respected when I tell him how much I appreciate the things he does for us.

How did you start your blog and why?
I started my blog in March of 2011 and my desire was to create a place where I could document all my kids were doing since I was so great at keeping up their baby books and also a way for all the grandparents to see what their grandchildren were up to. In October 2011 I started blogging regularly and realized I could use my blog as a way to inspire and encourage others. I believe that my blog has become my ministry to other women. My desire is for others to know that God is a forgiving God and He can use us even when my make mistakes.

What inspires you?
I love working with kids that are abused and hurting. The kids I work with inspire me to be a better me. They also inspire me to be thankful for all God has given me and to appreciate all the amazing people who go to great lengths to make sure those kids are safe.

People who have overcome difficult situations and live to encourage all of us to keep pressing on also inspire me.

5. What would your totem-pole animal spirit be? :) [like a great eagle or an otter :)]
I had no idea which one I was so I took a quiz online.

Here is what it says, “You are...A WOLF! Your utmost priority is leadership and kindness. You make friends easily and steadily, learn quickly, and care about others, hurting as much as they do when they're having a hard time.”

6. What are some of your favorite items in your shop or blog posts [with links] and why?
Be You - I love this post because I encourage others to just be you and no one else.
How he loves my little girl - This post is all about how my husband wants to adopt my oldest daughter Grace.
Our love story - This post is all about how Anthony and I fell in love.

7. How do you define success?
I define success by being satisfied at the end of the day with what you did, whether it is being a mom at home, a good wife, following your dreams doing something that is out of your comfort zone or making a difference in someone’s life.

8. What advice would you give to new shop owners/bloggers? What did you wish you knew when you first started?
Here I did a post on all my blogging tips:http://cantelmofamily.blogspot.com/2012/01/some-tips-on-blogging-from-brand-new.html. My top blogging tip is to leave positive comments on other blogs and make friends!

9. What is a talent you have that you wish you used more?
I have no idea! I feel like my talent for loving and caring for others is used up so much that I don’t really have talent anymore!

10. Do you squeeze the top of the toothpaste tube or the bottom? Which one does your husband do? {This is a silly question from Stronger Marriage that we would ask couples just for fun}
I actually never noticed which way I squeeze the toothpaste or which way my husband does either. I heard about people having problems with the toothpaste and the toilet paper when they got married but thankfully we have never had an issue with it! Thankfully my husband is pretty tidy so we don’t have too many arguments in that department.

11. What are your goals for the future {long and short}? Do you have anything you want to change?
My goals for the short-term would be for me to be able to stay at home with my children, be organized, intentional and consistent with them. Another short-term goal is to help my good friend get her non profit started and get a grant for me to work with pregnant and teen moms. I am very passionate about working with teen moms and their children. My long-term goal for the future would be for me to finish my masters in counseling.

thank you so much, Melanie, for answering those questions!
and aren’t her kids ADORABLE!!
i have to admit, i laughed so hard that you found an online totem-pole spirit quiz!! where did you find that?

i hope you all take the time to get to know Melanie more over at her blog!
you really will not regret it! Melanie will become one of your closest friends and you will completely fall in love with her blog and her family.

check her out here!

Inspiration: Why Mormons Build Temples

2012-01-29T12:09:00.000-08:00

I believe families are forever because of the blessing of temples all over the world. I know that I will be able to see my family again who has gone before me.
I know that if anything ever happened to Adam and Elijah that I will be able to see them, hold them, love them again because I was able to be sealed to them for time and all eternity. This knowledge gives me a great amount of peace and comfort for life here on Earth,
to know that it will all be okay in the end.

January Favorite Post Link-Up

2012-01-28T23:07:00.000-08:00

This month feels like a complete blur to me...

I don't really quite seem to remember what I did or what I wrote about.

I feel like I lost the whole month and I feel incredibly behind in my life.

In fact, I know that I cooked for my family this month, at least I think I did because they are still alive, but I can only name maybe 3 meals I remember cooking.

Isn't that pretty terrible??

So, yes.
I am totally mother and wife of the month for January 2012.
uh, not.

So, since my memory seems to be pretty crappy lately, it was pretty fun to go through my {small collection} of posts for this month and remember what I wrote about.
[but seriously, I guess I didn't post a lot this month?? whoops.]

That's one of the things I LOVE about the "Favorite Post" link up each month!
Not only do others see your posts that they missed, but you are able to go back and remember the important things that happened that month as well.

Really it's a brilliant concept!

So, with all the being said,
here's the info for the Favorite Post Link-Up for January!

It's the third month of the favorite post link-up and last month was an even bigger hit than the first one so I'm super excited about this month. This month there are a couple of new guest hosts joining the mix that will have the link-up on their blogs as well to spread the love even further throughout the blogging community. Be sure to check out their blogs to find out their favorite posts this month!

This month's hosts include:

Ashley from After Nine To Five / Megan from And Here's To You, Mrs. Robinson

Claire from Polkadot Pretties / Beth from Through The Eyes of The Mrs.

My favorite post of the month is:

again, I have more than one post that I liked
so, sue me!
:)

End of One Dream & Start of Another
Count Your {little} Blessings
Love One Another

JOIN US BELOW!

Saturday Favorites

2012-01-28T10:46:00.001-08:00

i may not be very good at commenting on other blog posts, or tweeting, or doing facebook shout-outs, but i do read other posts when i get a chance.

i thought it would be fun to start doing a Saturday favorites list to highlight some of my favorite posts/products throughout the week.

sounds good?

so here’s my favorite links this week
[this is not an all encompassing list! there were lots of other links i liked but i just picked a few]

i love this post by Andi over at The Hollie Rogue about marriage {of course!}. i love the perspective she gives on how to be happy in our relationships.

and speaking of The Hollie Rogue, did you know i guest posted over there last week about how i became a writer? you should check it out!

and also speaking of marriage, i LOVE this Intentional Marriage series over at Not My Own Life. she has great insight and i love reading her posts each week.

Ashley over at After Nine to Five is doing a great series on blogging tips if you want to take your blogging to another level. they are really helpful!!

Mindy from Marigold Road made the most gorgeous Valentine’s Day wreaths EVER! i need them in my life.

ever since Ashlyn posted this color crush post i’m now obsessed with the color blush!! it looks GORGEOUS!

i love Kaycie’s post on being able to finally go to Anthropologie after hearing everyone around blogland sing it’s praises. or “fangirl about it” like Kaycie said :)

this sweet love letter Kendra wrote for her little girl Evelyn for her first birthday brings back so many memories of my own baby. it’s fully of pure motherly love and i think any mother could relate to her feelings of being a mommy.

Jamielyn over at I Heart Naptime wrote a great post on finding balance. this is something i have been thinking about a lot so it really hit home for me.

i love Erika’s color blocking in this outfit from this week. i don’t think i would be very good at color blocking but i like seeing it on other people!

i laughed so incredibly hard at this post by Jenni. it’s too perfect for words. i love that girl!

i need this ring from the After Nine to Five shop

and i need this GORGEOUS necklace as well as this necklace from Sebastian Design

Beth from Through the Eyes of the Mrs. wrote this awesome post about her husband. it’s perfect.
and then i also wrote this post about my husband as a guest post on Beth’s blog. check out both!

and last but certainly NOT least, Tahnie wrote this post about her life with Cystinosis. she is hoping to raise $2000 by her daughter’s 2nd birthday to go towards Cystinosis research. please please please help her reach her goal so that she can be around to celebrate more birthdays with her daughter!!
you can read her post and donate here
{even just a little bit helps!}

have a great weekend!!!
and be sure to check out all those links!

-------------------------------------------------

oh yeah i need to pick a winner for the Rouge & Whimsy giveaway!!

the winner is….

lucky number #54: Allison!

thank you for everyone who participated in the giveaway!!
please go check out Erika’s blog, you will not be sorry :)

Being the Glue: a guest post from Through the Eyes of the Mrs.

2012-01-26T06:00:00.000-08:00

i am really excited for today because Beth and i are swapping blogs!!
Beth is seriously amazing and i have loved getting to know her better these last few months. i love how she writes and how honest & genuine she is. she likes to keep it real and i love her for that. it's refreshing to hear other mothers voice the same feelings and opinions as i feel! it helps me feel not so alone in this confusing thing called "being a mom."
i hope you all enjoy Beth's post today and be sure to stop by her blog to read my post!
and definitely stay a while and get to know Beth a little better.
you won't regret it!
and now here's Beth!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hey there everyone, I'm Beth fromThrough the Eyes of the Mrs.

Today I want to talk about being the glue of our family.

You know the one that holds everything together all the time.

Well that's me!

You could also say I'm the CEO of the household.

When there is a problem I fix it, repair it, or find a way around it.

With three kids and a hardworking husband it's a tough job.

I am the the one who schedules appointments.

I transport to soccer, music, and dance.

I cook and clean for a house full of people.

It's tough to be sometimes and to make it all work for five.

Life doesn't slow down though instead it speeds up.

Even with the pace increasing I'm thankful!

I'm thankful that I have these amazing people in my life.

That God trusted me enough to be their mother and give me my husband.

I look at the calender and think "Okay, how is all this going to work?"

It just does and sometimes I mess up and that's okay.

Last week I was supposed to be at the school for lunch and recess.

I completely forgot and instead caught up on emails.

The standards of motherhood are tough.

We set such high standards for ourselves and make it even tougher.

I swore before children my kids would never have a dirty face.

I said they would never behave that way in a store.

I told myself how blissfully organized I would be all of the time.

I was wrong and life is full of surprises.

So let's give ourselves a little break shall we?

Tomorrow is a new day and we'll do better.

Please stop by and visit me. I'd love to hear from you!

Blog Facebook Twitter Pinterest

thank you so much, Beth, for sharing your story!!
i especially loved that you said "we set such high standards for ourselves" because BOY i feel that.... thank you for reminding me to be kinder to myself!!
i hope you all enjoyed Beth's post!
make sure to show her some love
:)

BIG {500 follower} group giveaway!!

2012-01-25T03:31:00.001-08:00

when i first started this blogging journey, i always hoped in the back of my mind that i would be able to reach a larger audience of women to help motivate & inspire.

i thought that goal would take years to accomplish.
so when i looked the other day and say a big 501 in my gadget i felt like i could cry.

i’m so grateful to all of you for wanting to hear what i have to say each day.
i’m grateful to all of you for supporting me and being my friends when i needed them.

i know it might sound silly to people {especially those who may not blog}
but in a way, i feel like this blog and all of you have blessed me in so many ways i cannot even describe.

i know it is because i chose to open up about my struggles and reach out to a wonderful community of women that i am happier today than i was a year ago.

so thank you thank you thank you for seeing me through it all and blessing my life!

and because i have amazing sponsors this month, they are helping me celebrate by giving away some awesome prizes for 21 lucky readers!!

first, i do want to say though that my sponsors really have been amazing!
i have mentioned earlier that this month has been crazy hectic and i have kind of been the worst sponser-er…
{is there a word for a person being sponsored?? am i have a total brain fart right now?}
but my sponsors have been so INCREDIBLE and so kind & supportive even when i have been the lamest.

so i just want to say a very public THANK YOU shout-out to all my wonderful sponsors!!
and if you haven’t gotten to know each and every one yet,
YOU SHOULD!

okay now on to the awesome prizes!!
:)

[there will be one winner for each prize! that’s 21 winners!!]

$20 Shop Credit to Beck-A-Boo Crafts

you cannot tell me that these aren’t the CUTEST things you have ever seen!!
i am completely and enormously obsessed with these booties and i desperately need a girl so i can get her some in every size and color.

Rebecca is offering one reader a $20 shop credit towards any pair of boots in her shop!
if you win, please please post a picture of your baby in them so that i can melt :)

blog / shop / facebook

$20 Gift Card to Target from Our D.I.Y. Diaries

Jen, Laryssa, and Courtney started this great blog showcasing their every day crafts and help motivate others to do their own budget friendly decorations! i love how their houses are transforming with all their simple DIYs and can’t wait to have a place big enough to do some of my own!

today, these ladies are giving away a $20 gift card to Target!

blog / facebook / twitter

Orange & Neutral Beaded Necklace from Rhi’s Designs

of course i’m biased {since she’s my sister}, but Rhiannon of Rhi’s Designs really is extremely talented and creative!! her necklaces are all one of a kind and gorgeous! i’m totally jealous that she got the creative genes in the family and can produce such beautiful pieces without batting an eye. i mean seriously… how is that fair??

today, she is giving away the above necklace at a $15 value!

blog / shop / facebook

Beanie in the color of your choice from Alisha & Brandon

Alisha has been a great friend to me and i have loved getting to know her through her blog. she recently took up knitting and made that adorable hat!! i absolutely LOVE it and i know one lucky reader will too!

Alisha is giving away a beanie {similar to the one pictured above} in your choice of color!

blog / twitter

Blog Design for Header, Button or Social Media Icons OR Ad Space from Little Miss Nerd Girl

some great design goodies to help spruce up your look! Lacey from Little Miss Nerd Girl is giving away your choice of designing a new header, button or social media icons for your blog/shop OR a 300x100 ad space on her blog for the month of February.

blog / design / facebook / twitter

Blog 101 E-Book from After Nine to Five

i actually took this course after winning it in another giveaway and it.was.AWESOME!! Ashley is really able to help you figure out all the nitty gritty of blogging and gives you tips to help make your blog grow. she also helped me figure out exactly why i blog and what i hope to gain from it. definitely an e-book worth reading if you are getting serious about blogging!

blog / shop / facebook / twitter

Ad Space from Jenni Austria Germany

Jenni has a cute, fun, and hilarious blog that is sure to bring any blog/shop traffic! She is giving away a sponsor spot on her blog to help your business grow.

blog / twitter

Blog Design Social Media Buttons and Medium Ad Space from Royal Daughter Designs

if you are looking for more ways to spruce up your blog look, head on over to Amanda at Royal Daughter Designs! she works hard to give you the special look you want and make it unique to you.

Amanda is giving away individually designed social networking buttons for your blog AND a medium ad spot!

blog / design / facebook / twitter

$30 Shop Credit from Along For the Ride

i want everything in Laura’s shop!! it is so darn cute! and a $30 shop credit can go a looooong way to help you get a lot of favorites.

blog / shop / facebook / twitter

$15 Shop Credit from From the Guest Room

Kate of From the Guest Room has beautiful knitted items that i think are pretty essential to your winter wardrobe! i especially love this rope necklace that she is modeling above!

she is giving away a $15 store credit to one winner today!

blog / shop / facebook / twitter

Pretty Zipper Pouch from Polkadot Pretties

Claire from Polkadot Pretties has some seriously beautiful products! you would think she sewed her whole life instead of being a self-taught sewer just last year!

today she is giving away this beautiful zipper pouch to one lucky reader!

blog / shop / facebook / twitter

Medium Ad Space from Boyish Chic

Jillian has a great shop and blog where she talks a lot of fashion and style. i always like seeing how she styles items and her awesome moving pictures that she does!

Jillian is giving one winner a medium ad space on her blog!

blog / shop / facebook / twitter

Print of Your Choice from Cinnamon Ink

i don’t think i’ll ever be able to adequately describe my absolute LOVE for this shop!! when i saw Kate’s artwork for the first time i couldn’t get it out of my mind and i am now determined to get a whole collection of her prints one day.

when she said she would offer a reader one print of their choice i could have died with jealousy!
YOU ARE SO LUCKY!!

blog / shop / facebook

Bow Hair Clip from Sea of Blooming Dreams

i just recently found Erica’s shop and already i’m totally in love! she has some serious talent, that girl!

she is giving away a bow hair clip from her shop today!

blog / shop / twitter

$15 Shop Credit from Whimsical Poppysmic

Chrissy is a very talented lady and a true friend! i love seeing all her shop items and what designs she comes up with next. and i totally want that above embroidery like nobody’s business!

Chrissy is giving away $15 shop credit toward any item in her shop!

blog / shop / twitter

Large Ad Space from Finding the Beauty in the Ordinary

Heather is one of the nicest and most genuine bloggers you will ever meet. and today she is graciously giving away a large 200x150 ad space for one reader which includes twitter mentions + group sponsor feature. working with Heather is a great way to get your blog/shop noticed and she does a great job supporting you to fulfill your goals!

blog / facebook / twitter

$50 Design Credit from Small Bird Studios

[example of design work by Franchesca]

Franchesca is another one of these amazingly talented designers that can take your vision for your website and make it better. she is giving away $50 credit towards any blog design.

blog / design / facebook / twitter

Earrings of Choice from Mama Nest Designs

Tricia has some amazing handmade earrings in her shop that are absolutely beautiful and colorful! i am especially coveting these beauties! please get them for me :)

blog / shop / facebook / twitter

$25 Shop Credit from Miss Mommy

Nicole’s shop has some incredibly beautiful products that i have definitely been swooning over for a long time! and to add to her awesomness, she is quite honestly one of the kindest and more supportive bloggers/shop owners i have ever met. when i first started working with her, she did all that she could to help me get the word out without me ever really asking. she is just automatically your friend!!

she is giving one winner a $25 credit to her shop which is totally incredible!! if you get one of her wrap bracelets, i would be forever jealous.

blog / shop / facebook / twitter

Large Ad Space from My Unrehearsed Life

Ashlyn from My Unrehearsed Life is giving away a large ad space on her blog that includes an individual giveaway and/or a guest post! Value of $25. Great way to help your business grow!

blog / facebook / twitter

$10 Starbucks Gift Card from Keeping Up with the Cantelmos

Melanie is a great inspiration in the blogging community and has quickly grown a large following! she is so nice to offer a $10 Starbucks gift card to one lucky reader today to help with their morning coffee/hot chocolate runs :)

blog / facebook / twitter

remember: there will be a winner for each prize!

GOOD LUCK!

click on “read more” to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Eli’s first basketball game [that he sat through]

2012-01-24T08:56:00.001-08:00

as you can tell by the variety in Elijah’s facial expressions, it was a very exciting game!

and contrary to his last face, BYU actually lost.
but Eli still had fun!
{even if daddy wasn’t happy with the outcome}

we sat up by some other families and Elijah loved seeing all the other kids!
there was this boy that was sitting behind us who was about 8-10 years old and Eli was mildly obsessed with him.
every time the kid cheered or yelled or clapped, Eli would copy him.
the pictures where Elijah has his hands over his mouth is because the other kid would cup his hands to yell something and Elijah was trying to imitate him.
and then he thought it was hilarious so he’d start laughing hysterically.

the other boy was a really good sport and was really nice to this random baby that would get up in his face.
{he was the oldest of 4}
afterwards, i thanked him and his parents for being so nice to Elijah.

i was actually really impressed with it all.
here’s this kid who is at that age where he’s starting to get too cool for being around little kids [especially having other little siblings] and yet he is playing with Elijah and being really nice even if he is mildly annoyed.

i hope that i can raise Elijah well enough that he will be kind to other children no matter how cool he thinks he is.
and that i can teach him to love others no matter how young they are or what they look like or what they act like.
and if i can teach him that, i would think that i did a pretty good job fulfilling my role as a mother

[but right now we have quite a bit to work on… like not pulling little babies’ hair]

Inspiration

2012-01-22T00:04:00.000-08:00

30x30x30: day 8 & 9 + tips of thrifting

2012-01-20T00:37:00.000-08:00

i don’t know why i’m total slacker posting these pictures
these are seriously the easiest posts… ha!
but i have been doing it!!
{promise}

so here’s my 30x30 under $30 pictures for days 8 and 9

[shirt: Shade sale, tank: Macy’s {gift}, jeans: on sale at Old Navy? got them in high school, shoes: {not pictured} turquoise flats from Target sale, necklace: c/o Sebastian Design, headband: gift from my sister, ]

[shirt: thrifted, pants: thrifted, belt: thrifted, boots: {see them here & here} thrifted, necklace: c/o Rhi’s Designs]

i also don’t know why i seem to frequently fail to take pictures that include my shoes…
or why these pictures seem really blurry when they are blown up but seemed perfectly fine before.

basically, i don’t know a lot of things.
i’m still getting used to doing these “fashion pictures” but i love being able to show
cheap, affordable outfits
in hopes that it will help a few people be able to dress nicely on a budget.

as you have seen in many of my posts so far, i get a lot of my clothes from thrift stores.
i was looking in my closet the other day and realized that at least half of my wardrobe if not more is from thrift stores. i can count a handful of items that i bought full-priced at a department store.

sometimes shopping at thrift stores is hit or miss.
if you are a thrifting newbie, it can be kind of overwhelming and frustrating trying to sift through all the items!
so here are a few tips i’ve discovered that will hopefully help on your thrifting adventures!

1. go with a purpose.
a lot of times, i will see a shirt or a skirt or pants that i like on someone else and then hit up the thrift store to see if i can find something similar.

the pink/red [they’re pinker in person] pants above are a perfect example of that!
my friend Kelsey and i decided to look for some colored pants that we could refashion into cute, colored skinny jeans that are all the rage now. i found these pants that fit perfectly but were just a little long. i had all these plans to refashion them but turned out i liked them the way there were and so now i have red bellbottom corduroys for a steal at $6

2. try to see the vision of the item.
it may be hard to see how a colorful 80’s style shirt [like this one here] could be cute, but once you take out the shoulder pads and maybe do some tailoring it will look amazing!

the shirt i wore on day 5 is another great example of this tip.
when i first found it, it had big, bulky shoulder pads and looked horrible when i tried it on. but i loved the colors and patterns so much that i knew it had potential.
and it did!
just a few rips of the shoulder pads later, a good wash, and it was good to go at a whopping $4!

3. go during the day at the beginning of the week.
my friend Jessica actually passed this genius of a tip on to me. her theory {and i’m pretty sure it’s true} is that people are cleaning out their houses and donating items on weekends so at the beginning of the week they are all stocked up again. this also guarantees that you can get the items before the weekend rush of shoppers.
plus, it can be full on crazy on Saturdays!

i have found many a glorious thing when i decide to mosey on down the D.I. some Tuesday afternoon.
although don’t be surprised if you don’t find anything right away.
which brings me to tip number….

4. have patience!!
because thrift stores {usually} sell lots of different one-of-a-kind items, it can be tough to get what you want even when you go with a purpose.
so be patient!!
take your time sorting through the clothes & keep in mind that you may need to take multiple trips.
but if you are determined enough, it is very possible to find what you want!

and finally
5. go with a friend.
i don’t know if this really mandatory to thrifting, but it sure makes it a lot more fun!
sure, i enjoy a good solo shopping experience every now and then, but it truly makes a huge difference when you have a friend there to give their input.
{not that you always have to follow it but it’s nice to know}
especially when you see an item that you may be on the fence about, sometimes you need another eye there to help you see the full vision of the item.

again, take those red pants for example, the ones that so many of you have commented on before.
i was actually really really unsure about them. but my friend Kelsey convinced me that they had potential and didn’t look as weird as i thought they did. so i bought them and eventually gained enough courage to wear them in public and
BOOM!
now they’re my favorite pants ever!
bringing a friend shopping with you can be extremely helpful in non-refundable situations.

maybe these are all tips you have heard before and maybe they’re not.
i hope at least one is new!
but i hope it’s helped show you that shopping at second-hand stores is really a great way to extend your shopping budget!
it is amazing what you can find sometimes!
i’m a total believer in the power of thrift

what are some of your thrifting tips?
what are some way you stretch your budget for clothes?

a little rouge and a little whimsy for your day + giveaway

2012-01-18T23:00:00.001-08:00

you guys, i have some amazing sponsors this month!!
i have loved getting to know each one of them better this month and work with them.
i really do feel honored that they want to support my little blog,
it truly means the world to me!

one of my sponsors is Erika from Rouge & Whimsy.
Erika is one of the most kind, caring, patient, genuine, loving, encouraging… {i could go on!} person i have ever met!!
with everything that has happened these last few weeks of January, i have been absolutely horrible with keeping in contact with people and replying to emails.
but Erika has only been understanding and nice while i try to get my head back on my shoulders
{almost literally…}
i really appreciate her support and it has only made me more grateful that i get to work with her this month!

now it’s your turn to get to know Erika a little bit better!!
i got to ask Erika a few questions {some a little silly} so you can get to know the girl behind the blog & shop a little more

1. How would your friends describe you?
creative. loud. loving.

2. How long have you been married and what {honest} advice would you give to someone about to be married?
We've been married just over 2 1/2 years and I think the best advice I have for people is to always think the best of the other person. If they messed up somehow, don't think that they did it because they're out to get you-- they probably just made a mistake, just the way you make mistakes. So give and receive grace and move on. :)

3. How did you start your blog & shop and why?
I love to write, I love documenting pretty things and after reading blogs for awhile I decided I wanted to start my own. The shop came out of making some things for friends and seeing Etsy as a place to share those. It's kinda in flux right now. I have some big ideas for it, but so little time.

4. What inspires you?
My momma. She is living her dream job after raising three kids-- repurposing furniture, giving new life to houses and living a beautiful, creative life. I love it. You can read about what she does here.

5. What would your totem-pole animal spirit be? [like a great eagle or an otter :)]
hahah this is SO funny to me because I grew up in Washington state and we studied totem poles and Native American history and all that so much and even made totem poles. Gosh, I don't know. I think my totem pole animal would be a kitty (is that allowed?) because I love to sleep, stretch and bask in the sun.

6. What are some of your favorite items in your shop or blog posts [with links] and why?
favorite item in the shop is this orange sleep mask (I sleep with one every night):

*I love this post from my husband on our anniversary (so sweet)
*I love my outfit posts- and this one about finding my style
*I also love this semi-silly post about why I wear red lipstick

7. How do you define success?
Living a life that brings joy to God, others and yourself. :)

8. What advice would you give to new shop owners/bloggers? What did you wish you knew when you first started?
I wish I knew how important good photos were! Big, beautiful photos! This is important for shops AND blogs. Also, patience. It's rare that anyone is a success overnight. Better to build a strong community of followers who will care about you AND your blog. Oh, and blog for you not anyone else. If you like what you write, chances are other people will sense that and like it too.
{not having big pictures was totally one of my rookie mistakes! and i still struggle to remember it}

9. What is a talent you have that you wish you used more?
I don't listen enough. I am a good listener but sometimes I fill the listening in with talking.

10. Do you squeeze the top of the toothpaste tube or the bottom? Which one does your husband do? {This is a silly question from Stronger Marriage that we would ask couples just for fun}
So I squeeze from the bottom because I'm anal like that and thank goodness the husband does too (most of the time.) Sometimes I have to remind him, though. It's just better-- it doesn't waste as much! hah!

11. What are your goals for the future {long and short}? Do you have anything you want to change?
In the way-off future I would love to be supporting myself with a creative lifestyle of some sort. I want children in five-ish years, I want to finish our house's basement! Short-term goals: Continue to grow my blog, find joy in the everyday and learn to be in the moment.

i love Erika’s answers!
especially that she her animal spirit would be a kitty
who doesn’t like to sleep all day??

and because Erika is so nice, she is also giving away an awesome prize!

$15 credit to her shop + large ad space on her blog

you are free to use this credit on me!
i would gladly take this, this, this, or this please!!!
:)

mandatory entry:
1. follow Rouge & Whimsy here

additional entries:
2. follow Erika on Twitter here
3. follow Rouge & Whimsy on Facebook here
4. favorite {heart} Rouge & Whimsy on Etsy here
5. follow Rouge & Whimsy on Bloglovin’ here
6. follow my blog

[comment for each entry]

GOOD LUCK!
and seriously go show Erika some love
you won’t regret it!

:::p.s. you can read the interview Erika did on me over on her blog today too! and maybe enter another giveaway… wha???? :)

love one another

2012-01-18T09:57:00.001-08:00

i mentioned in this post that the dance concert Gentri and i went to left us in tears.

here’s why.

you may not be able to tell very well but in the middle of this picture is a little girl with cerebral palsy who is dancing with the teacher during one of the routines. she came out with the rest of the 3-4 year olds using a walker but still able to do most of the footwork for the dance.

you could tell she knew the routine so well even when most of the other little girls wouldn’t quite remember the next step. the teacher would also help dance with her and help her move around during some steps.
and you could tell the little girl just LOVED it all!!

it was seriously one of the top ten most touching moments i have ever witnessed!
it took all of our power for Gentri and i to stop from breaking down in uncontrollable tears.

when others probably would have said no, this teacher understood the importance of loving & accepting others and let this little girl join her dance team.

i couldn’t help but think about my own child and future children and hope that if they ever had some kind of disability {or even if they didn’t}, that they would be just as accepted and loved as the little girl in that photo.
and that they would know that they are a special child of God no matter how different they may be.

in church, one of my favorite Primary songs is
I’ll Walk With You
{lyrics}

If you don’t walk as most people do,
Some people walk away from you,
But I won’t! I won’t!
If you don’t talk as most people do,
Some people talk and laugh at you,
But I won’t! I won’t!
I’ll walk with you. I’ll talk with you.
That’s how I’ll show my love for you.

Jesus walked away from none.
He gave his love to ev’ryone.
So I will! I will!
Jesus blessed all he could see,
Then turned and said, “Come, follow me.”
And I will! I will!
I will! I will!
I’ll walk with you. I’ll talk with you.
That’s how I’ll show my love for you.

i hope that as we go about our day/week/month/year/LIVES we can constantly remember that no matter how different we all are,
{black or white, tall or short, homeless or wealthy, big or small, sick or healthy}
we are all children of our Heavenly Father
and be able to show Christ-like love towards each other!

New Year's resolutions from Jenni Austria Germany

2012-01-17T00:13:00.000-08:00

today, i am so excited to have Jenni from Jenni Austria Germany guest posting today! if you haven't heard of her/read her blog before, you should! because seriously, Jenni's blog is an essential part of your daily happiness. Jenni is such a great & hilarious writer! i literally LOL when i read her posts {i kind of hate that acronym but i'm using it to show you how serious i am}. and i'm always finding myself saying, "yes! i feel the same way!" when she tells her stories {example below}.
[except i don't have cool stories about traveling Europe. but that is besides the point.]

so basically, Jenni is my soulmate and i'm in love with her, the end.

now read her great post and fall in love with her too!

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let the record show that i’ve never been good at new year’s resolutions. ages 7-14, my new year’s resolution each year was to fill every page of whatever diary i had just received for from santa. and every year, i’d make it a few days into january before abandoning all journalistic ambitions (seriously, i have a whole drawer full of half-filled lisa frank diaries at my parent’s house…it’s a wonder i’ve managed to stick with blogging for so long?).

and then last year, i decided i’d bring the new year’s resolution back. i made it a goal to email my grandparents every day of 2011. and i was so excited about it! and then, several days into january, what did my grandparents do? they decided they wanted to cut back on expenses and flat-out cancelled their internet service (it’s okay, i happen to love writing letters by hand!).

i’ve decided, though, that 2012 is my year. it has to be. maybe it’s because my 2011 didn’t exactly go exactly as planned or maybe it’s because i felt inspired after megan posted eli’s big plans for the new year . whatever the case, i’m feeling compelled to list a few resolutions of my own. and in keeping with the theme of my blog, they’re all travel related. yay for living in/traveling europe!

here they are:

{above photo: me, trying to find my way to the andy warhol exhibit in london}

all too often, when i visit cities for the first time, i think, “eh, let’s just wing it…i’m sure we can find our way around” and then after walking in circles for 3 hours, i finally decide that glancing over a map might be worth its while. so this year, when i make my travel plans, i’m going to be more intentional about organization and pre-planning, as it really can make all the difference.

{above photo: me, contemplating buying the french version of harry potter at a flea market in paris}

books make long bus rides, train rides and plane rides all the more bearable. i have a few trips in the works right now and i’m already making a list of what books will accompany me.

{above photo: me, buying far too many clothes….a common trend for 2011}

this one needs no explanation. in 2012, i hope to not spend thousands of dollars on impulsive shopping sprees. but i’ll just say right now, that this resolution will most likely be the one i’m quickest to break. ;)

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k, so while reading about Jenni's resolutions weren't you all thinking,
"this is the story of my life! including the Lisa Frank notebooks!"
yep. i thought so!

be sure to check out more of Jenni's awesome stories on her blog
{you will not be sorry!}
and today, she is even having a giveaway so be sure to go check that out and enter right away!

scenes from the weekend

2012-01-16T15:34:00.001-08:00

1. trying to take a decent picture together. it took multiple tries.
2. and then we ended up laughing ridiculously hard so i look like i’m crying/about to pee my pants
3. amazing BBQ chicken pizza
4. little girls’ dance concert
5. Yogurland frozen yogurt, nom nom nom!
6. cute Gentri

this weekend, i got to spend some time with one of my very favorite bloggers {and real life friend} Gentri Lee!
if you haven’t heard yet, Gentri will be moving down to St. George, Utah at the end of the week to attend aesthetician school. and i’m going to miss her looooooooots!!

Gentri was one of my very first blogger-turned-into-real-life friend and has really shown me so much love and support through this whole blogging journey. i totally look up to her and her unfailing kindness towards others and positive outlook on life! i feel so honored that she took me under her little blog-wing and reached out to befriend me at a time that i really needed the encouragement.

thankfully, we will always have blogland and so she will never be too far away from me!
cheesy much??
but seriously.
i will miss her being so close!

so for one last HURRAH before she leaves me for warmer weather, Gentri came over to my ever-so-glamorous student housing apartment on Thursday night and ~~took pity on me~~ we chatted all about the ups and downs of blogging while making delicious BBQ Chicken Pizza! [recipe to come]

it was a lot of fun & completely refreshing to talk to someone about blogging who 1. knows from experience the same joys and frustrations and 2. isn’t annoyed with listening to you talk and talk and talk about it because they feel the exact same way {unlike husbands sometimes :)}

it was also fun to see how quickly Elijah warmed up to Gentri and kept insisting on feeding her his goldfish.
he can be pretty shy around people but after a couple of minutes, he did not hold back his craziness and much of the night was spent corralling his energy…. thank goodness Gentri has been a nanny for a while and wasn’t too annoyed with my rambunctious child, ha!

on Friday night, Gentri was down in Provo again to see a dance concert at a studio she used to teach at. ~~after seeing how my child is constantly bouncing off the walls~~ knowing that i could use a break after a stressful week, Gentri invited me to go to the dance concert with her. it was such a cute concert and one part left both of us trying to hold back our uncontrollable tears.
but that moment was so special to me i wanted to write about it in a post of it’s own.

after wiping away our tears and gaining some more composure, me and Gentri headed over to Yogurtland to partake of its sweet goodness {my first time ever} and talked until almost midnight.

it was seriously a perfect, very much needed, girls night out!!
good luck with school, Gentri!
i’ll miss you
:)

Walgreens Savings Club

2012-01-16T13:01:00.001-08:00

I was able to write a review on the changes between Walgreens and Express Script and the new program Walgreens implemented called Walgreens Prescription Savings Club that helps ease the burden of prescription prices.

check out my review blog to learn more!

Walgreens on Twitter
Walgreens on Facebook

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens. All opinions are 100% mine.

Inspiration

2012-01-15T00:07:00.000-08:00

guest post: Cassie from Live.Laugh.Love

2012-01-12T21:50:00.000-08:00

i'm so excited to be having Cassie from Live.Laugh.L0ve! guest posting today. Cassie is an incredible inspiration to me and truly one of the LOVELIEST & KINDEST girls you will ever meet!! i have had the pleasure of getting to know Cassie better these last few months and i'm always left so encouraged after talking to her. if you haven't checked out her blog or her shop you need to pronto!

today Cassie is sharing a very personal & inspirational story about learning to truly believe
WE ARE BEAUTIFUL!
this post hit home for me in so many ways.

i hope you take the time to read her amazing story and send some love her way!

and now here's Cassie!

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Hey ya'll! I'm Cassie and I blog over at Live.Laugh.L0ve!

I am so exciting to be guest posting on Megan's blog today! =D

I want to talk about something very real to me.

Vulnerability.

Insecurities.

Pain.

Shortly after I had my open heart surgery at two years old.

I developed spots.

Something that even to this day, 21 years later..

I struggle with.

The stares still hurt.

I grew up hating my body.

Literally hating it.

I hated wearing tank tops,

shorts

swim suits.

All because of this....

Some years I was perfectly fine with.

Well, that's a lie..I was okay with it.

I accepted it. Then I would go back to rejecting it

& hating it some more.

I hated being different. I hated that I was the odd one out.

Do you ever feel unpretty?
Take that and multiply it by a million.
That's how I felt everyday.

I've shared this on my blog before. I've shown a few up close pictures.
But nothing to this extent.
It scares me to put this out there.
To let myself be this Vulnerable.
But it's something I need to do.

It wasn't until I revealed it to my husband while we were dating that I started really becoming okay with it.

I remember bawling my eyes out when I told him,

in fear he would leave me. He wasn't not my husband then, we were dating.

When I told him this is what he said.

Hubby: "I already know."

Me: Stunned into silence before I looked into his eyes, "How?"

Hubby: "I have seen them when you climb out of my car and your shirt goes up in the back."

A fresh wave of tears flowed down my cheeks.

He knew & was still with me.

Me: "Why didn't you ever say anything or ask me about them?"

Hubby: "Because I figured you would tell me when you wanted too."

Me: "They don't disgust you."

Hubby: "No."

That was my turning point. The man I fell in love with accepted me.

I could face the world.

I'm happy to tell you that I do too.

But there are times when I still get stared at it and it still hurts.
It hurts to the core of my being sometimes.

But I try to remind myself that I'm beautiful, he thinks I'm beautiful, God thinks I'm beautiful.

Let me tell you something ladies.

it doesn't matter who is reading this.

You are beautiful

you matter.

Don't let anybody ever tell you differently.

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Cassie is offering all {And here's to you, Mrs. Robinson} readers

15% off everything in her shop

use code INSPIRE at checkout to get the discount

thank you so so much Cassie for sharing your story with us!
you have blessed my life by opening up about this and i'm sure you have blessed many others!

blinner blate

2012-01-12T12:29:00.000-08:00

{blinner = blogger + dinner, blate = blogger + date, get it?}

[Kaycie, Elise, me, Gentri]

a little while ago {before Christmas break} i was able to go out and have dinner with these sweet girls!

yes, i know it’s an incredible blogging faux pas to go out with other bloggers and not even blog about it until WEEKS later.
but whatevs.
i break the rules all the time.

so back to this awesome night out.
and it was awesome!

we originally tried to get a whole blogger Utah blogger party going like we did before but we i pretty much dropped the ball on that one and didn’t get it organized in time + lots of people wouldn’t be in town.
but the 4 of us still really wanted to get together and visit and so we made it happen, Cap’n.

and what did we do?
ate and talked for hours about blogging of course!!
what else?
well, we talked about other things but that was a main topic.
maybe it seems lame to have other bloggers get together to talk about blogging
{like we don’t have anything else interesting to talk about in our lives}
but really it’s kind of refreshing!

it’s nice to know that there is someone else who understands your same excitements or frustrations
or that is willing to listen to you vent and not get annoyed
{or at least pretend they aren’t annoyed}
or give you tips and advice
or to just seem genuinely interested because they’ve been there before too!

basically,
they just get it!
and that is what i absolutely LOVE about this blogging community!

i love getting to know other women who can relate to me and understand what i am going through.
my little space on the internet has opened so many incredible opportunities for friendship that i never knew existed.
i love being able to share my stories and hear other’s experience and know that we can rely on each other to listen and understand.

[not that my husband doesn’t, but it’s different because he can’t really relate as easily.]

i’m so incredibly grateful for the friendships i have made these last few months and the amazing way they have lifted me up when i really needed them.

thank you girls for a wonderful & MUCH NEEDED night on the town!!
{and thank you for teaching me how to wear red lipstick :)}

Why Women Need Fat

2012-01-11T23:23:00.001-08:00

i have struggled for years with positive body image.
to me, it’s never good enough.

so when i was accepted to be a part of the BlogHer book review to read “Why Women Need Fat,” i was soon intrigued and couldn’t wait to hear what the author had to say.

and well, it definitely was intriguing!

the authors cited research, historical reports, and looked to other cultures to show how the diet of American women has changed over the last few decades.
they showed that years ago when no one was really worried about calories and polyunsaturated fats vs. saturated fats. it was all just about what was good, what they could make, and what would keep them full to do the day’s work.
and people were thinner!

one of the most interesting points that they talked about was body types in relation to childbirth and why there are more C-sections than there used to be
{the answer would surprise you!— hint: it’s not because doctors are trying to make more money}

i honestly came away from this book having a better appreciation for our bodies and a better {healthier} view of my own body image frustrations.
{though that’s maybe another post for another time}

though the book can be a pretty slow read
[it’s completely captivating, at least not to me]
it still had a lot of good points and topics that i thought was really important knowledge to have

especially as a mother, i’m glad i understand a little more about how to keep a healthy diet so that i can feed my children right and pass on that knowledge to them.

if you are interested in how to maintain healthier eating habits this book is definitely a great one to read!
note: it’s not a dieting book!
it’s more of a book about understanding our bodies and the natural {easy} ways to stay healthy.

This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.

count your {little} blessings

2012-01-11T17:39:00.001-08:00

{so grateful for this little boy!}

i mentioned in this post that these last couple weeks have been pretty exhausting.
this last week in particular with trying to figure out insurance policies, who pays for what, and medical coverage.

but even with all the stress and hours on the phone with insurance companies,
i am reminded of the small blessings that i need to be thankful for in all of this mess.

1. i was alone in the car.
if Elijah was with me when the girl hit me, you can guarantee i would not have been as nice and understanding with her!! yes, he would’ve been in his car seat but as bad as my whiplash is
{the other driver was going at least 45 mph when she ran into me and i was at a complete stop},
i don’t even want to know what would’ve have happened to his little head getting knocked around

2. i was sitting back in my seat, relaxed, talking to my dad to wish him a happy birthday.
i think the fact that i was more relaxed helped me not have more injuries from tensing up before the crash.
i also usually drive really close to the steering wheel so because i was leaning back more waiting for the light to turn green, i wasn’t close enough to actually hit my head against the steering wheel to cause more injuries.

not only was i relaxed physically, but i was able to be relax mentally as well. because i was talking to my dad, i was able to stay very calm when i realized i got hit. i know that if i did not have that lifeline in a way, i probably would’ve been pretty hysterical and not know what to do. but my dad was able to keep me relaxed so i could deal with the situation calmly.

3. there were two cars in front of my that had just started driving away when i got hit.
because i was waiting behind them at a stoplight, i was sitting pretty close to them and could’ve have easily been pushed into them with the amount of force i was hit. but since the light had just turned green and they had started driving away when i had gotten hit. i know this small little blessing helped the accident not be as bad as it could've been
{4 car collision?? no thank you!}

4. insurance companies who [may take forever to get stuff filed] have been very understanding and helpful to get things taken care of. we haven’t had to pay any out-of-pocket expense {yet} and being on a super tight budget [and barely able to keep that], that is a HUGE blessing to not have to worry about car repairs and x-rays on top of everything else.

5. i have highly supportive friends and family who have been so kind and understanding even when i’m completely out of it.
it’s hard when you’re on the mend to not think of all the stuff you need to do but can’t because i can hardly keep my eyes open or focus enough to get it all done. but i know i have been incredibly blessed with amazing friends and family {and readers & sponsors!!} who have been so understanding through it all.
especially when i don’t make any sense or it takes me forever to get something done….
{sorry guys!}
this situation could be much more stressful without their support!

i know these are just small things and maybe they seem kind of insignificant.
but to me it has seriously made {all the difference}

i know that if i just continued to focus on all the frustrating/painful/horrible parts of it all, i would just be left even more bitter and stressed.
but being able to recognize these small blessings has truly made this experience more bearable!

Eli’s New Year’s resolution

2012-01-10T00:38:00.001-08:00

cut back on milk intake and pump up his muscles

{note: i in no way encouraged him to start lifting weights. he made that goal all on his own.}
he’s more serious about his resolutions than i am!

the end of one dream and the start of a new one

2012-01-09T01:42:00.001-08:00

Source: tobifairley.com via Megan on Pinterest

i posted my last Stronger Marriage post last night.
after a year of being their “freelance blogger,” it has come to an end.

i knew it was only temporary
and i knew that other students from different colleges would want the chance to help others as well.

but it’s still very sad to say goodbye….

writing for Stronger Marriage was my absolute dream!
when i chose my major, i had a goal to someday be able to work with and write for an organization to help couples and families. and then quite literally this internship with Stronger Marriage showed up in my inbox one day and i applied immediately!
[it was honestly one of the only moments in my life that i truly believed in myself and felt like i was capable for the job. which is saying a lot…]

Source: notquitesusie.com via Megan on Pinterest

it still seems surreal to think that i was an actual paid writer for an amazing organization.
what is even more surreal, is the amount of support and encouragement i have received from family, friends, and even strangers from all over the country!
there have been times where comments, emails, and Facebook messages left me in tears because of the incredible outpouring of love i received.
{my favorites were always, “did you actually write this article??” :)}

to add to all of that generous support, i was able to meet Dr. Liz, a marriage and family therapist who works with StrongerMarriage.org and used to write for the blog, who told me that it was an honor to meet me in person and that she greatly appreciated and loved my articles.
DR. LIZ READS MY ARTICLES!!!!
like a real deal, popular {in Utah} marriage therapist thinks little ol’ me writes really good articles!!!!

SAY WHAT!?!?!
i pretty much just stood there with my jaw dropped after that.

seriously.
this has been a total trip!!
i feel INCREDIBLY blessed for such an amazing opportunity to work with StrongerMarriage.org.
and for learning to have greater confidence in my abilities!

and while i’m sad to go, i also have developed a new dream and ambition
{similar but with new terms}
and a whole new sense of faith in myself

Source: d30opm7hsgivgh.cloudfront.net via Megan on Pinterest

i realized the importance of speaking up about marriage and family
i realized the importance of sticking up for what you believe in
{being courageous!}
and i realized the incredible need there is for more people to become a voice for healthier marriages

so i’m not going to stop.
i’m going to keep writing, keep encouraging, and keep believing that i can help make a difference.

i don’t need a professional organization to tell me to write about topics that i already feel strongly about.
i don’t need paperwork and deadlines to follow my dreams.
not anymore.

when i first started, i needed the push,
the encouragement
the support, to help guide me to where i am now.
but i think now i have to tools to take my dream to the next level.

Source: Uploaded by user via Megan on Pinterest

yes, i may not be writing for StrongerMarriage.org anymore.
but i have this voice and this platform on {And here’s to you, Mrs. Robinson} that i shouldn’t take for granted.

and so help me,
i’m going to make the most of it!!

so be prepared for new marriage articles to come to a blog near you!

i’m not giving up, guys!

[you can read my final Stronger Marriage blog article here]

my kind friend’s inspiration to me

2012-01-08T17:28:00.001-08:00

this week has really sucked to say the least. after enduring the 12 hour drive home mixed with my regular car sickness, Elijah woke up in the middle of the night feeling pretty hot. he ended up having a fever of 102-103 degrees for 3 days and then we finally were able to go to the doctor. we found out he had some kind of infection (not sure exactly what yet) and was put on some medication. he finally slept 8 hours on Friday (usually sleeps 12 each night) after not sleeping pretty much all week!
he would only sleep in 15 minutes increments at a time…
exhausting!! and then, to top off a already stressful and tiring week, a girl was coming off the of the freeway and didn’t slow down and rear-ended me while i was stopped at a stop light.
thankfully i was the only one in the car at the time or else i might’ve not been so nice…
so now i’m fighting a HUGE headache and trying to get the damages to our car straightened out. so yeah. crappy week. i had posted something on Facebook about it
[you’re supposed to post about every detail of your day in your status right?]
and my sweet friend Aubrey sent me the kindest, most considerate email ever!! she knew exactly what i needed to hear and how i needed to hear it.
just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes, quite honestly.… she shared with me this wonderful message about enduring life’s trials and how we can have hope even on the hardest days. [watch this video first for a background on Jenny] [video Aubrey sent me] i know my trials are nothing compared to this woman’s story.
but i also know that each of our trials are very personal and we all will have trying times.
and i know that even on our most difficult days where we feel like nothing is going right and we are completely overwhelmed, there is always hope, there are still many blessings to thank the Lord for, and there are still people who love and care about us. i’m so grateful to Aubrey for reminding me of that love and for following her own promptings to write me and bless my life. i hope we can all do the same for others in our lives,
to continue to bless each other
and encourage one another to be able to endure life’s trials.

Christmas Eve bowling

2012-01-04T21:57:00.001-08:00

we went bowling on Christmas Eve with Adam’s brothers + Holli and our niece Camilla.
i’ve always wanted to take Elijah bowling cause i thought he would love all the bowling balls and watching the pins crash down.

yeah…
my hunches may have been wrong.

but
i’m convinced it was only because Elijah was super tired so that’s why he was pretty grumpy the whole time
[as any good mother/blogger, i only took pictures of the good times to fool you :)]

Adam’s dad was a saint and would walk around with him to help keep him distracted so we could enjoy ourselves a bit. and besides Eli being a total party pooper, it was a lot of fun!!

i always love it when we get to go out & spend some time with Adam’s younger brothers and family!
i have always wanted little brothers, so i’m glad Adam let’s me share his
:)

annnnnnd let the record show that it was I who beat everyone in the first game!!
{Travis, you still owe me Flip’s!}
we won’t talk about the second game though…

temple lights

2012-01-04T15:12:00.001-08:00

[my mom & the E-man]

[Salt Lake City temple]

[Adam said i looked like a homeless person… sweet guy right?? :)]

before we left to California for Christmas and the wedding, we got to spend the weekend with my parents who were visiting.

my parents have been living in the Marshall Islands for 2 1/2 years and were finally able to find a new job in the states so they could move back to be with us.
this was only the 3rd time they had met Elijah which was really hard for me.

my parents moved away a couple of months after me and Adam got married.
a little while after that, we found out i was pregnant but now my mom was thousands of miles away.

it hasn’t been an easy time being away from my parents.
i mean, i knew that i wasn’t going to live next to them my whole life. but having them in a different country in the middle of the ocean not knowing when you’d be able to talk to them next or not knowing what they were doing or if they were safe or having a baby without your mom being able to come spend a few days with you and get to meet your baby….
it was really really hard.

it was hard for me.
it was hard for Adam to see me upset a lot.
it was hard for them not to be with their children.
and it was hard for our parent-child relationship because we didn’t get a lot of time to talk and when they were in town they were spread thin between other kids and family members.

so when they told us they would be in town for a few days before Christmas, it was a huge blessing.
then when they said, they would be quitting their job in the Marshall Islands and found a new job in Indiana, i knew it was a huge miracle.

i am so grateful i got to spend some time with my parents even if it was only 2 days.
i am grateful that i can call my mom whenever i want and she has the time to listen to me and comfort me.
i can’t even explain how amazing that is!!!
after not being able to do that for my whole life as a wife and mother, i now understand what a huge blessing it is to have your mother there for you.

cause no matter how much we grow up,
we’ll always need our moms.

and now i got her back!

30x30 under $30: day 6 & 7

2012-01-02T23:49:00.001-08:00

[shirt: Shade sale, skirt: Forever 21, blazer: thirfted, necklace: c/o Sebastian Design, shoes: (can’t see them) Target sale]

[shirt: thrifted forever ago, pants: Forever 21 forever ago, shoes: thrifted]

we are hitting the road back to Provo tomorrow after our 2-week long vacation in California.
so for your viewing pleasure while we are on the road, please check out these awesomely awkward & strange looking pictures of me for the 30x30 under $30 challenge.

as much as i have loved spending time with family and attending my brother-in-law’s wedding, it’s good to be going back as well. sometimes when i am gone from home for so long, i miss our quiet, comfy apartment and being in our own space.

but i will miss our family a lot.
they have been so good to us and Elijah has really warmed up to them.
every day when Adam’s dad gets home from work Elijah runs to him saying,
“PAPA!!”
it’s very sweet to see and i will truly miss the extra hands and playmates that Eli has had here.

this time away has been really eye-opening as well and has helped me re-evaluate my goals and ambitions a lot.
i have really felt the Lord’s promptings to what i should be focusing on in the New Year and how i can work towards being a better me.

can’t wait!!

--------------------------------------------------------------------

i also owe you all some giveaway winners!
{oops!}

the winner of Jillian’s giveaway is….
ALISHA!

& the winner of Alisha’s giveaway is….
SIMPLY.LOVELY.THINGS!

CONGRATULATIONS LADIES!!
i emailed both of you so be sure to check your inbox for it!

also, you should check out my new post on the Stronger Marriage Blog about making goals for the New Year with your spouse.
check it out here!

AND
check out the giveaway i’m a part of over at Punkin Heads and Dooda Loo’s
it’s awesome!!
check it out here!

and i think that’s it for now.
i know that is plenty to check out but i hope you do!!
cause it’s great!

HAPPY TUESDAY!

New Year’s Inspiration

2012-01-01T01:24:00.000-08:00

December’s favorite post link-up

2011-12-31T08:13:00.000-08:00

I was so excited when Ashley came up with this idea to share your favorite post of the month.
I publish so many posts throughout the month {at least once a day} that I feel like they all get lost in the pile and never visited again.
plus, I love look through other people’s posts and reading their favorite ones to get to know them better

This month, I am joining the list of guest hosts to help spread the love even further throughout the blogging community. Be sure to check out their blogs to find out their favorite posts!

This month's hosts include:

Ashley from After Nine To Five / Megan from And Here's To You, Mrs. Robinson

Rushelle from Digging Deeper / Polly from This Enchanted Pixie

My favorite post of the month is:
{i’m cheating & i have two!}

GO FORWARD WITH FAITH
&
CHANGE OF HEART

JOIN US BELOW!

year in review {blog style}

2011-12-31T00:00:00.000-08:00

some favorite posts of 2011:

JANUARY

:: my 2011 resolutions. i think i made great progress though i can always improve!
:: some favorite pictures of cute, chubby, Elijah baby
:: an important lesson {and word} i learned to help a marriage be healthy and happy
:: got hired for the most fabulous and perfect internship ever. it was like a dream!
:: love my husband!

FEBRUARY

:: Elijah is chubby
:: {Just} Dance party with best friends
:: a sweet and touching dream i had that reminded me that my Heavenly Father is mindful of me and loves me
:: Elijah starts walking!!

MARCH

:: my cousin & best friend came to visit!
:: Elijah practices his Rocky impression
:: Superman baby {daddy’s dream!}

APRIL

:: me and Adam finished school and graduated from Brigham Young University
:: Elijah turned one and we had a big party
:: Elijah celebrated his first Easter

MAY

:: Adam and i celebrated our 2nd anniversary
:: we taught Elijah about the letter U
:: we found out that Elijah really really doesn’t like being pointed at
:: i realized i wasn’t being completely honest on my blog and vowed to be more genuine

JUNE

:: Elijah became obsessed with this song and it was sometimes the only way to get him to stop crying
:: i realized i couldn’t ever make it as a single mother
:: my sister opened her shop on Etsy, Rhi’s Designs
:: Adam turned 25
:: i really did {finally} finish my last class EVER
:: i understand the importance of the phrase “marry above yourself”

JULY

:: celebrated 4th of July with friends and blowing stuff up
:: i turned 23 and had a month long celebration {and had a wonderful date}
:: Adam wrote me a sweet birthday message
:: i reached 100 followers!
:: SAW HARRY POTTER!!
:: was reminded of the valuable lesson to put your spouse first and how we can have perfect love
:: talked about having depression for the first time

AUGUST

:: had to say goodbye to our best friends/cousins
:: figured out what being a mother means to me
:: an old lady in the supermarket taught me the importance of enjoying these moments
:: talked openly about my struggle with depression and getting help
:: shared a great analogy about the way we handle feelings in ourselves & relationships
:: embraced my inner fashionista

SEPTEMBER

:: had a very special experience of answered prayers
:: realized that Lord really does know best
:: shared my reason for getting help
:: talked about my feelings after Elijah was born

OCTOBER

:: went to the family carnival
:: shared my feelings about Elijah growing up
:: went to the Utah Blogger Meet-Up
:: visited the beautiful autumn scenery up the canyon
:: realized that it is okay to wait to have another baby
:: threw an awesome {un-Halloween} party [here.here.here.here.]

NOVEMBER

:: resolved my feelings on motherhood and womanhood
:: Elijah thinks Aragorn looks like Jesus
:: tried to learn to accept myself better
:: joined the awesome RevolutionizeHer project
:: shared my feelings of gratitude for my blessings and family
:: began my 30x30 under $30 project

DECEMBER

:: realized how fast Elijah is growing up
:: opened up about pornography addiction and it’s dangers on the Stronger Marriage blog
:: offered some small words of encouragement during times of high stress
:: threw my friend an awesome Soda Shoppe Party
:: shared how my heart opened up more compared to last Christmas

WHEW!!
it’s been a great year!
being able to look back on past events and feelings is one of the greatest blessings of having a blog.
i may not be good at keeping a journal, but i’m glad i have this little blog to document the things that happen in my life.

it’s also kind of interesting to see how my blog and writing style has developed throughout the year.
hopefully it’s gotten better and will continually get better as we head into a new year and have new opportunities!

so grateful for this last year and all that has happened.
i know i learned a lot of important lessons that i hope i can remember for years to come.
and i have loved getting to meet new friends and soul sisters!
:)

here’s to another great year!!
BRING ON 2012

our Christmas letter

2011-12-30T15:42:00.001-08:00

i forgot to send out Christmas cards out on time. it has been a crazy couple of weeks.
but to tide our close family and loved ones over, i thought i’d write a little update of what happened in 2011

2011 has been a very exciting and eventful year for our family!
Looking back, we can see how much the Lord has truly blessed us and guided us through every step of the way.

Adam and Megan graduated from Brigham Young University this last April. Adam is now getting a Master's in Physiology and will be finished in April 2012. He will then most likely be attending Midwestern University Dental School in in Glendale, AZ. We are excited to hopefully get back the warm weather!

Megan is keeping busy chasing around a very active 20-month-old and finishing her internship with StrongerMarriage.org. She is still trying to get used to being a full-time stay-at-home mom now that she doesn't have to juggle homework with diaper changes, but she is enjoying the time she has to spend with their goofy little boy.

Elijah is as cute and clever as ever! It is fun to see him learning new things each day. He loves Elmo, slides, suckers, pillows, animals of all sizes and playing with friends.

We wanted to thank all of you for your love, support, and prayers on our behalf this last year!
We love you all so very much!

Love,
Adam, Megan, and Elijah Robinson