Keep Hoping, Make Wishes, and Dare to Dream

"Shine" Pendants

2012-01-04T11:00:00.000-08:00

For 2012 the mutual theme for the youth of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is "Arise and Shine forth that thy light may be a standard for the nations" (D&C 115:5). So for New Beginnings I decided we would have a theme of Fireworks, based off of what I saw at the Sisters in Zion blog, our focus will be on being or becoming the "spark" of light that can share the light of Christ with others!

So, I've decided to use this image:

and combine that with a tutorial I saw on pinterest.com through this link here and would make shine pendants for each of the Young Women in our group. So, I took the "shine" image above and printed it as shown below.

I found some glass pebbles at the dollar tree that were all flat on the bottom, all were different shapes and had some other "flaws" that one could see in them which I thought was perfect for the pendants to give to the Young Women to remind them that each of us are different and we can see different flaws, but we are all just as precious to our Heavenly Father! The other supplies I used we an exacto knife, paper glaze (also called Diamond Glaze), E-6000 glue, decoupage, and bails.

So, here is what the pendants look like. I'm still trying to figure out what to hang them from... but I was just thinking of something simple, we'll see what I come up with!

They're about 1'', but each one is shaped a little different... I did learn that the best way to make these was by putting a layer of decoupage on the side of the paper that I was going to attach to the glass pebble and let that dry before attaching the design. It seemed to keep the ink from spreading a little.

A Daughter of God

2011-12-22T17:42:00.000-08:00

Manual 1: Lesson 1

I am teaching this lesson and I LOVE to have a cute handout to give to the Young Women along with lessons. The manual says to give the Young Women a handout with 2 specific quotes on it, I decided to add to those quotes and this is what I came up with:

Along with this handout I will give each of the girl's a warm fuzzy to help them remember that Heavenly Father gives us the little blessings to let us know that He cares about us individually and as His daughters! Each of the warm fuzzies I made are unique, just like each child of God. Here is the template I made for the feet of the warm fuzzies.

And here are what a few of my fuzzies look like.

I'm SO grateful for the warm fuzzies, or as Elder Bednar called them, tender mercies of the Lord that are given to each of us that let us know that we have a caring Heavenly Father who is aware of, and cares for, us individually!

Arise and Shine- Oquirrh Temple

2011-12-21T13:32:00.000-08:00

As a gift for the Young Women this year I had a bunch of pictures of the Oquirrh Mountain Temple that I had found amongst the items left from the previous presidency, so I decided to take some Vellum and print the theme for Mutual for 2012 on it. Then I used decoupage to attach the vellum to the picture of the temple and will be putting it in a frame to give to each of the girls. The finished picture kind of looks like this with more texture from the decoupage:

Bucket List

2011-11-12T06:50:00.000-08:00

This is my entry in the Just Ask Bucket List Getaway Giveaway. Just Ask offers a breast and ovarian cancer screening and is encouraging people to share 15 things that I want to enjoy in my lifetime as a reminder to be aware of my health. Want to enter? Head over to TodaysMama.com to get the details.

1. Visit all 50 states
2. Take my kids to Disney World
3. Run a Marathon
4. Go to New Zealand
5. Meet Paula Dean or Rachael Ray
6. Serve a mission with my husband for the Church of Jesus of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
7. Become a millionaire
8. Own a home in Southern California
9. Become part of a greater cause - I'd love to do family photos on a regular basis for those who can't afford them
10. Participate in a Mud Race (i.e., Dirty Dash)
11. Write a cookbook
12. Have a successful garden!
13. Get all our family pictures put into photo books
14. Become debt-free
15. Go in a hot air balloon

Some People...

2011-03-07T20:14:00.000-08:00

I don't want this to sound like a rant, but every now and then sometimes it just has to come out. I think it's SO sad that there are some people out there who can't just be happy for other people who are trying to do something with their life and live their life as best they can. No there are those people who for some reason just seem to find pleasure from trying to be as mean as they possibly can to others. Well, to anyone out there who is just being MEAN, just for the sake of being mean... to you all I have to say is please STOP being such a bully... REALLY!!! Once out of High School can't you mature just a little beyond that and just either ignore people and stay OUT of their lives or just learn to at least bite your tongue. And to those who see or hear those "Bullies" making rude remarks about other people... PLEASE be brave enough to tell them to stop. One person standing up and making a good choice does in deed make a difference!

The Perfect Relationship

2011-02-16T21:34:00.000-08:00

Romance is nice. But it is biological in origin. That dizzy head-over-heels feeling is a species of losing your mind, and most of the time it lasts only as long as the chase. What we keep forgetting is that in marriage, as opposed to romances, you aren't marrying the thrilling wonderful perfect Someone you're looking at right now. You're marrying the man who decides not to have the dazzling career with the high salary, refusing promotions and transfers so the kids don't have to change schools. You're marrying the woman whose body doesn't bounce back after the third baby, so she's no longer slim and attractive by the standards of the magazines. You're marrying the migraines and the hemorrhoids and the heart attack and the cancer; you're marrying the irritable, forgetful, lazy, thoughtless, sarcastic, distracted, too-busy days as well as the Kodak-happy ones.

You're marrying the one who works with you to raise the crippled child, or stands with you at the graveside of the child who dies. You're marrying the one who can't find work after the company folds or he's laid off; you're marrying the early Alzheimer's, the diabetes, the obesity, the pain of conflict and the struggle of forgiveness. The foundation of that isn't some ideal of romantic love. It's a commitment based on the goals you share. And real love, married love, is not what you start with--it's what you create together along the way.

--Orson Scott Card

A friend of mine posted this quote by Orson Scott Card I think it's one that everyone who is married, considering marriage, or in a committed relationship should read and think about. I am SO glad that I have found a man who I can share goals with and have created so much together already! I look forward to all that we will yet do and create together!

Valentine's Gun Ad?

2011-02-15T12:04:00.000-08:00

I saw this ad in a newspaper on Valentine's Day and just thought it was HILARIOUS!!!

In case you can't read it the three levels are:

Like her a little

30 day range pass
1 flashlight
1 pepper spray
1 mace whiste

Like her more

Taser
30 day range pass
1 flashlight
1 pepper spray
1 mace whistle

Love her a LOT

Firearm
30 day range pass
1 flashlight
1 pepper spray
1 mace whistle

My Famous Baby!

2010-12-21T10:03:00.000-08:00

Back when we first moved to Utah I was able to get my youngest a little modeling gig... pictures are now up! You can now check out my famous little guy here: http://www.sevenslings.com

Wish List Meme

2010-12-06T11:25:00.000-08:00

I figured why not just give this a try... it sure would be fun to win!

Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme

TodaysMama (link to: http://bit.ly/tmwishlist) and GameStop (link to:http://bit.ly/gamestop10) are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

1. What is your holiday wish for your family? That we can get out of debt.

2. What is your Christmas morning / Hanukkah Nightly tradition? Open presents, youngest to oldest, eat cinnamon rolls and enjoy our time together!

3. If you could ask Santa for one, completely decadent wish for yourself, what would it be? A new home, big enough for 9 people. I would love to be able to make it so my in-laws could live with us, yet feel like they had their own space.

4. How do you make the holidays special without spending any money? I make A LOT of gifts. I try to make sure that the gift I give shows that I put thought into what I got that person.

5. What games did you play with your family growing up? Boggle, still one of my favorites, but it's sometimes hard to find people who will play me.

6. What holiday tradition have you carried on from your own childhood? Opening presents youngest to oldest, and having a little advent calendar that I finally made this year!

7. Where would you go for a Christmas/Hanukkah-away-from-home trip? If we're taking the kids then I'd say Disney World, if it's just my husband and I... probably Hawaii!

8. Check out GameStop (link to: http://bit.ly/gamestop10) and tell us, what are the three top items on your GameStop Wish List this year? XBOX 360, Xbox 360 Kinect Family Bundle, and Biggest Loser Ultimate Workout

If you're interested in getting in on this giveaway check it out here!

Potato Stamp

2010-12-02T08:46:00.000-08:00

To help make part of Christmas gift I am working on I made my own stamps, out of POTATOES!!! I made both a batman and a superman stamp, I think they turned out great! Since I was stamping onto fabric I just put fabric paint right on the potato and then stamped away!

What a nice cheap way to get exactly what I wanted!

After Christmas I'll post the whole project!

Advent Calendar

2010-11-20T09:59:00.000-08:00

I am just SO happy with how this turned out that I just HAVE to share! This is the advent calendar I made this year for our family.

(***WARNING*** This is a LONG post!!!!)

Here are close ups of all the little ornaments (they are all quite small and took quite awhile to make, but I really didn't want to sew ornaments and I couldn't find any I liked to buy)!

I am really happy with how our little advent calendar turned out! I hope our kids will enjoy it as they grow up... I know it was something I enjoyed doing as a kid!

Here is another one I made for my younger brother, Trevor, who really enjoys video games and is in his own apartment now. His birthday is at the beginning of December, so he'll get to enjoy it this year and hopefully for years to come!

The Gamers Advent Calendar!

This is Trevor's XBL Avatar character

This is Trevor's Mii (Wii Character)

Sonic the Hedge Hog

Wii Bowling

Kirby

Mr. and Mrs. Pacman

And the Ghosts

The Golden Gun, and a helmet and Grenade for those Call of Duty games.

Mario and Luigi, a Star, and Mushrooms

Tetris Blocks

Pikachu

Yoshi

That's all 24 ornaments and the calendar! PHEW! I hope he likes it!!! I think it turned out pretty good. I just wish I had remembered to take a picture of it with all the ornaments on it... I'll have to ask him to do that for me!

Photo Sharing

2010-09-24T13:37:00.000-07:00

As a photographer I have been asked about sharing photos (among other questions). One thing that my brother-in-law recently shared with me is something called Dropbox. You get 2 GB of free storage space and they make it easy to share files! What a great way to back up your photos, who knows what will happen to your computers... it never hurts to have back ups.

I think about all those people who get their homes destroyed by natural disasters and how devastated people are when they lose all those images and memories! Well, now you can have them all in one place that is easy to share with others (only those you want)!

So go check out Dropbox!

Busy, busy, busy...

2010-07-22T16:13:00.000-07:00

It seems like SO much has been happening... we moved, again, into our own apartment.

I actually have gotten a LOT of those things that were on my wishful Wednesday list, like the table and the watch that I was admiring!

We still don't have some things that I would like to get (hopefully soon) like a tv stand and bookcases... but we are SLOWLY getting there... too bad it all takes money!

PLUS on top of everything we are still hoping for my husband to become a full-time employee, not just in a contract position. Technically his contract was up at the end of May, and he will be starting the interview process for a full-time position. I just hope it all works out, especially since we have rent and other bills to pay.

Anyways, I have also been busy with photography stuff and just trying my best to get us settled... all while also trying to plan a fun birthday party for my soon to be three year old! I know I had mentioned doing a fireman theme, but I talked to him and he really wanted Mickey Mouse... so I am doing all I can!

FREE Rodney Atkins' Song Download

2010-05-21T05:19:00.000-07:00

I absolutely LOVE my country music! So, when I can get it free, it's even better!

You can get Rodney Atkins' Song, Get Together, by clicking here.

You will have to enter your email address, zip code, and age range, but the song is cute and upbeat!

Wishful Wednesday

2010-05-12T07:42:00.000-07:00

I have found the PERFECT piece of furniture for organizing my sewing/craft area!!!

Isn't it absolutely PERFECT?!?!?!

Well, I'm not sure about the color, I haven't decided on a color scheme for whatever area we designate for my crafts/sewing!

But, I love this Amoire!

I love that the table folds in and out for you to be able to hide it all away when not in use and that 2 sewing machines fit! (Yes, some day I would love to own a Serger as well!)

It even has a two outlet power strip, super cool!

I love the set up of this, I might need one more area for all my supplies like the fabric and stuff, but I really like this!

Future Friday

2010-05-07T20:55:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know I don't have a little girl... but some day I hope to!

I love all the cute little girl clothes that you can make. And for me... a pettiskirt is definitely something I would like to make!

Are they not just totally precious!?!?

And here's a link to Miss Martha's tutorial on making them!

Free Nursing Cover

2010-05-06T07:44:00.000-07:00

Well, almost free... you still have to pay for shipping (about $10), but still quite the deal! A $32 nursing cover for just $10, not bad! That's about the same price you would pay if you bought all the supplies and made it yourself.

Do you know anyone who is having a baby? I feel like I know a bazillion of them!

Anyways if you check out Uddercovers.com and use the promo code: onefree all you will have to pay is the shipping!

Nursing covers are a WONDERFUL gift for the mother who will be nursing.

Mommy Models

2010-05-04T08:47:00.000-07:00

If you live in Utah you should know about Mommy Models! Emily from Wink Fotos takes absolutely stunning pictures of women who are over 25, married, or have kids! And for $65 you can get a disc of 10 stunning pictures of you!

(Remember Father's Day is right around the corner, what a great gift a stunning model-like picture would be for you to give him!)

And if you check out Sassy Scoops today you can win a $25 gift card towards your shoot!

WHAT A DEAL!!!

Click here and just leave a comment to be entered to win!

Party Planning II

2010-05-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

So, I guess I have parties on my mind lately! I have been thinking for awhile of what I want to do for my boys with their birthdays this year. My youngest (turning 1) we will probably just have our small little family celebrate together. However, my oldest is turning 3 and actually has an idea of what's going on, so I would love to do something fun and special! But, being 3 he still really doesn't care much about it. Also I have been trying to think of how I could make birthdays special, but not totally self-involved. My conclusion was we would throw a party, but ask people not to bring a gift and instead they could put that money towards a donation to some organization. This year I was thinking I would do a firefighter theme and then donate the money to the local fire station. I would like to think that maybe, just maybe I could invoke a sense of charity and helping others just for the sake of helping and not looking for what we get in return.
The only thing I have thought about doing for this is the invitation... I was thinking it would be SO fun to take my boy to the fire station and see if someone will let him put a hat and jacket on for a couple of pictures... then I'll make a custom card using his cute face!
OH! I have of coarse thought about decorations a little... you know I have to have nice bright red balloons!

I have until July, so we'll see what all I end up actually doing... especially since our family is still some what transitional right now. Hopefully by then we will be more set as to where we are living and will actually have friends to invite (not just family).

Party Planning I

2010-04-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

Next month I have another niece who will be born and now that I live nearby I can throw a baby shower!!! We are going to do the shower after she is born, then everyone gets to meet her too (BONUS)!
This is their second girl, but the first stained a lot of her dresses... so I decided a great theme for the party would be Clothes! For the invitation I think I will make it look like a paper doll and invite everyone to bring some cute girlie clothes to dress the baby as their gift! And as part of the decorations I will have a string hanging (like a clothes line) with clothes pins attached. That way after the gifts are opened we will hang the clothes up to add to the decorations!

For decorations I am also planning on making some of these Hanging Pom-Poms in pink and some other color, I haven't decided what color scheme to have yet!

And check out this cake:

I think I might try to do something kind of similar... it doesn't look too hard... and I already have some fondant made!
A couple things I would LOVE to have, but I have to check how expensive it would make things.
I would love to have some Organza fabric to drape around the food table, like this:

And don't you just LOVE how it looks with the lace table cloth? Another item I would LOVE to have!
I have this new love of orchids lately... and I would love to have two potted orchids to have on each end of the table. And champagne style flutes would be fun too. We will definitely have to see what all I can pull together!
Since I do photography I was thinking I would try to get some super cute newborn pictures and have at least one up on display.
Aside from decorations... there are always the fun games to play! There are SO many games out there that this is something I am going to have to think about. But one thing I think I will do is fill a baby bottle with candy and have people guess how many pieces are inside.
Any of you have a favorite baby shower game?

Swagbucks Update

2010-04-29T11:06:00.000-07:00

I know I mentioned this site back in November, but I just wanted to give an update as to how I am feeling about it now that it's been almost seven months that I have been using it. I absolutely LOVE winning prizes for doing searches online!

I do a LOT of searching for things online... so it is totally worth it to me! One thing I have noticed is google is still the best search engine, especially if you aren't quite sure of what exactly you're looking for. But if you're just looking for general information or new recipes to try I personally have used swagbucks a LOT! I have used it so much in fact that I have been able to get $30 in Amazon.com gift cards! That's enough to get someone a decent gift (Mother's Day, Birthday, Father's Day, etc.). I am hoping that by July maybe I will have enough gift cards accumulated to be able to get my son a bike for his 3rd birthday! (SHHHH don't tell him!) I am about a quarter of the way to get another gift card. But even without that I have gotten close to $5 a month just for doing searches! (Those gift cards don't include the ones my husband has received!)

Anyways, if you too are interested in getting prizes for something you already do... then I HIGHLY recommend you sign up for a swagbucks account and start getting money for it! You won't regret it... in fact you might find yourself just doing random searches just for the fun of seeing what comes up and if you'll get a prize!

Wishful Wednesday

2010-04-28T10:12:00.000-07:00

I have been lousy at keeping up with this blog! We are still living with my mom... we think we found the apartment we're going to move into, but who knows we may still change our mind! Along with moving I have found myself planning more than ever as to what I would love to have our home look like! Our big concerns are the living room and dining room... we don't really have anything for those rooms! So, I think I have found as close as I can to my dream dining table set here:

The only things I would change with this set for it to be absolutely PERFECT is I wish the table and chairs just had straight legs (like the back legs on the chairs) and I would LOVE it if there was a leaf for the table. Definitely not a necessary feature especially if I have the open counter in the kitchen that I want, I just like the option to make the table longer if needed. I do love the X-back chairs, the light color microfiber seat, and the black finish.

************************
Update 5/10/2010
I think I found a set, the Raymond 9 Piece Counter Height Dining Set, that is even closer to the one I dream of than the one above!
This one is from directsourcefurniture.com
It has the beautiful legs that I like (they won't collect dust the way the one above will)!
It still has the X-Back chairs and is counter height.
However I don't know if the chairs are upholstered with the microfiber like the one above. AND this one is NOT the right color... it comes in either a Cappuccino finish (which is better than the maple finish I have seen).
But, I really LOVE the black finish of the one above.

This one has the 18 inch butterfly leaf, which I really like the idea of being able to change the size as to the needed occasion. This table is 54 inches square and 36 inches high.

Wishful Wednesday

2010-03-03T15:14:00.000-08:00

My family has been so blessed as of recently. And I just want to say how grateful I am for family! One month ago my husband and I picked up and moved because we felt like it was the right thing to do. Now logically it didn't make sense at all. Yes we were moving to where we had a HUGE support network. However there was no security of having a job. And with economic times as they are it seemed like such a big risk to take. But we did it. We packed up all we had (sold the big things like the entertainment center, the extra desk, the dining table, the sofas) and moved. We are currently living with my sweet mom and today is my husband's first day on the job with a company he is thrilled to be working for as a contract employee. We hope that after time the company will choose to keep my husband on as a full-time employee, not just contracted. So, today that is my wish. That this company will see what an amazing person my husband is and offer him a position with them on a more permanent basis!

Making a Difference

2010-02-25T05:17:00.000-08:00

I am constantly amazed by how there are so many children (people under the age of 18) who set out to make a difference in the world. I attended four schools througout High School, but I must say that I am proud to have attended Cupertino High School, especially with all that I hear that they are doing today. They have this amazing project called Kenya Dream that they have been doing. Instead of fundraising money for prom they have been putting 100% of those fundraising efforts towards a school in Kenya. How cool is that?!?

I am so impressed with Cupertino's class of 2010. And you can help them by voting for them with Dell's SuperProm, but you only have 4 more days to vote. There are more videos on that site that you really should check out. They deserve to be number one! Or if you are able to contribute to their cause financially please click here to go to their site to make a donation.

They have even been featured by the local abc news. Way to make a difference!

It is amazing what can happen when people stop thinking about all that they can gain and start giving to others instead!

Have I Done Any Good

2010-02-14T04:55:00.000-08:00

My life has taken a huge turn... we decided to pick up everything and move to Utah. There was no job waiting for us there, just a very strong support system of family and friends! It may sound crazy, but I feel so happy with this decision. It is crazy how happy I feel with a decision that may quite well be the craziest thing I have ever done!

With the move I have reflected on the type of person I have been while living in this place and it causes me to pause and ask, "Have I done any good in the world?" I think this is a question many should ask themselves in self-reflection. Could you imagine if everyone did just one good thing without expecting something in return? Oh what a wonderful world we would live in!

Wishful Wednesday

2010-02-10T07:00:00.000-08:00

IS it too much to ask for people to be good neighbors to each other? On this Wishful Wednesday I think back on the neighbors I had in San Diego as we recently moved. So many mentioned, you were such a good neighbor and people just aren't like that now days. And my reaction was always, well they should be. I can't help but feel that people should be willing to meet their neighbors. Just say, "Hello." Or take over a plate of cookies. How often do people see a moving truck in their neighbor's driveway and they don't even bother to ask if they would like some help? Wouldn't the world be such a better place if we just got over our selfish fears and asked someone if we could help them? Man... that is a world I would love to live in. But until everyone else can get past their own fence I will pick up my feet and turn to those who I live next to and do all I can to get to know them and be nice to them! Please help me full-fill this wish. Pick up your feet, get off your rear, and go say hello to your neighbor. Get to know them, I promise it won't kill you... you might even find a friend!

Wishful Wednesday

2010-01-27T14:30:00.000-08:00

I believe strongly in the concept of loosing yourself in the service of others concept. However in this last week it feels like all the forces are against me regardless of how much I try to help others. In the last two weeks I strained my achilles tendon on my right leg, we found out my husband did not pass that huge test he took back in December, we found out the apartment we are suppose to move to got flooded and might not be ready by the date we get kicked out of the housing we are in, and it seems as though debt just continues to pill up. And yet I am determined not to sit around and wallow... I just need to vent. (Plus when I sit and wallow I end up gaining about 10 pounds because I am a stress eater!)

Anyways, my wish on this Wishful Wednesday is that good things will happen to good people. I understand that bad things happen due to the decisions of others or as something that will make us stronger, but I just don't know how much more of a load I can bear. So, I will continue to do what I can for others and hope that something good will happen to us in the end!

(This is a little wall hanging I made for my sweet neighbor using her little girl's handprints.)

In Transition

2010-01-26T06:25:00.000-08:00

I know I haven't posted in awhile, but I thought I would let you know I am still here, we are just in transition. I mentioned before, my husband is looking for a new job. He has graduated from UCSD and as a result we must leave the student housing we have been living in for the last 3 years. We will still be in the San Diego area, for now. Due to all the chaos that comes with moving I had to let a few things go and focus on things that were very important. However I am here to let you know I am not gone, I am here... I just was taking a little break to pack and get things in order! I will attempt to return to my regular blogging soon!

2009-12-20T23:12:00.001-08:00

Tonight I watched the season finale of Survi or, as many did. And I must say I am glad to see the rotten way of playing didn't pay off. Congrats to Natalie!

Future Friday

2009-12-18T07:00:00.000-08:00

There are just so many things I want to do... so many crafts to create!

Back on Black Friday I found some material that is black with white polka dots (for a fantastic price!). I plan on making this ruffle skirt from sewmamasew.com! Only I plan to make it with the black with white polka dots as the main piece then the ruffle will be a shiny pink material I found! I am super excited for this project! Who knows I may just keep making skirts for all the girls I know!!!

Wishful Wednesday

2009-12-16T07:00:00.000-08:00

I think many who know me know there is one wish that I have that I hope will come true some time in 2012! I know that may seem a ways off... but that's when I would love to have our third and final child. But what I wish for is a sweet baby girl. I love having my boys and I am SO glad that the older kids in our family are boys... but I absolutely LOVE to make things for little girls. There are just SO many cute things for them! So... until then I will have to be satisfied with having a niece and spoiling her... and any cute little girl's of my friends. Thanks for letting me spoil your girl's since I don't have one!

Do you have a wish for a baby girl too, or do you want a boy... and WHY!?!?!

Next Few Weeks

2009-12-15T14:58:00.000-08:00

If I posts seem sparse over the next couple weeks its only because I am REALLY enjoying my time with family! But, I should be back to my regular posts... in January... sometime! We're moving at the end of this month/beginning of next month, so I'm not sure when I'll have computer access or what will be happening!

Miss You

2009-12-14T14:50:00.000-08:00

It kind of stinks that now that my husband is finally done with school we're not going to be together because he works in retail and can't take time off around Christmas... so I will be spending time with our boys and our extended family... missing my love all the while. He will join us again in time for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day festivities, but for some reason that seems like forever away! But for now I will enjoy the time I have with him today, then I'll just take one day at a time.

Future Friday

2009-12-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

There are so many things I want to do in the future... among many of the things I like to do... crafts is something I really enjoy! I just finished this project:

Thanks to Ashley at Make it and Love it!

After we move and get settled (maybe as a gift for TG my oldest son, currently 2 1/2), I would like to take on the Cozy Car Caddy over at homemade by Jill. I probably will make 3 of them... that way he can line them up and have a really LONG road! And it will actually hold all the cars he has. I might even try to do one that will hold his train and it's tracks and just make it look like scenery for the tracks... we'll see!

Do you have any projects you have seen and are on your to do list for someday?

Together

2009-12-10T12:26:00.000-08:00

I am so thrilled that today is the last day my husband has school!!! Which means more together time! As of right now he's not planning on doing any more... which means we should be at the end of him working full-time AND going to school full-time! HOORAY!!! We finally reached the light at the end of one tunnel! Yes, that is right we reached the end of one tunnel only to realize we are standing in another tunnel. Isn't that just how life works though? We can only hope that he passed the big test he took this last Saturday... and hopefully he will find a new job quickly!!! He has his first interview on Monday... my fingers are crossed, I'm saying prayers and I'm thinking I should consider looking for a clover or a rabbits foot!

Wishful Wednesday

2009-12-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

Another wish I have, in regards to photography, is that some day I will have a studio... I would prefer something that is attached to our home. I would have all those fun props where I can take those adorable photos of babies in those giant baskets... or a nice white sofa there for the sole purpose of taking photos! Oh someday... I would LOVE to be able to have the financial means to do photography the way I want...
Please share some of your wishes.... I would love to hear them!!!

So Much Giving Going Around!

2009-12-08T07:00:00.000-08:00

As you know I think it's wonderful when others are able to give something to those who might not be able to afford it... Well, the other day I came across this wonderful project called:

Photographers are uniting to give away photo packages. This year the goal is ONE MILLION!!! Right now they are at $275,066. What's really cool is you can go to their website and find a photographer near you that is participating!

CHECK IT OUT!!!

By the way, I would be participating if I knew where we would be come a couple months from now!!! So, I will wait until next year, but I will definitely get in on this!!!

Looking for Hope

2009-12-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

I was browsing the web... looking for inspiration on what to write when I came across this website with "Wisdom and Inspiration You Can Read In One Minute". The topic I stumbled upon was "Looking For Hope". I feel this is something that most people struggle with, where to look for inspirations of hope. I liked the Wisdom in the thought this site presented:

"The most important choice people make in their lives is the choice of where they look for hope. People either look for hope outside of themselves or inside of themselves. Where you look for hope determines the image and outcome of your hope. Make no mistake about it. Vast fortunes, incredible fame, and untold power have been accumulated by people who apply certain principles related to making external hopes and dreams come true. However there are consequences to all actions. Indeed, you may come to possess every external hope or material thing, but you may later come to regret what you possess. Quite often, the realization of external hope brings inner death... the inner death that comes with realizing we are empty inside when all we possess are external fortunes, external fame, and external power."

I started this site with the feeling that so many people, including myself, are trying to find the best places to look for hope. There really is so much out there and within ourselves, but I think the thing we must remember is there are many good things we can hope for or look to for hope. What we need to focus on are the best things. These things probably are not be things such as a large home or that big screen tv, but are things such as hoping for good relationships, both friends and family or hoping for joy not only for us but for those we care about.

What are you hopeful for? Where or who do you look to for hope?

Hope {for a favorable outcome}

2009-12-04T21:47:00.001-08:00

My husband has been preparing to take a major test and soon it will all be over! Our biggest hope is that he will pass and this may be a HUGE change for us. I have learned as he has been preparing for this test how little people know about this test and how much of a difference it can make. I didn't know anything about the test until he signed up to take it. Now I realize that this has the potential to change our lives (for the better). He is only taking the first level of three right now, but even passing this first level will make him SO much more appealing when applying to companies... which means he'd be ten times more likely to find a new job that would make it so we could be miles closer to fulfilling our dream of owning a home. So I'm crossing my fingers, toes, and anything else I can cross! He's been studying and working so hard for this... please oh please let him do well... we won't find out until mid-January... so we'll see!!!

A Glimmer of Hope

2009-12-03T21:24:00.000-08:00

I don't know about everyone else and how they are doing with finding jobs... but we have been struggling. My husband is done with school in just a little over a week and still no job. Today was the FIRST glimmer of hope we've had in months of applications being sent out.

He got his first interview!!!

We are SO excited for this small step in the right direction and it has given us SO much hope for the future. On top of all this it is near our family (well, my in-laws and my dad and step mom)! It still won't give us the most comfortable lifestyle we would like... BUT it gives my wonderful husband the experience that seems to be required for practically every stinking job!

Along with this comes some exciting news for anyone in the San Francisco Bay Area and the Sacramento area! I will be spending some time up in these areas and am taking a limited number of photo shoots. So if you're in the areas check out my photo blog for details and email me!
My sessions start at just $50, it's a DEAL!!!

Wishful Wednesday

2009-12-02T07:00:00.000-08:00

Today I would like to begin my wishes in regards to Photography.

Where to start when it comes for my wishes with Photography items???

In all honesty my first wish is that I could actually take a class on Photography or go to a workshop (like this one that Melissa Koehler Photography does). I know I have lots to learn... and so far I think I have done a fair job at learning on my own. But I sure would love to take a class or workshop and I think it would be most beneficial... mainly I think it would boost my learning curve, which in turn I think would help me with produce an even better product with clients!

Make Wishes

2009-12-01T12:20:00.000-08:00

So, lately I've been considering opening an Etsy Shop. The hardest thing for me is deciding what to make! But I love to make things for little girls, since I only have boys! Things for girls are just SO cute. ANYWAYS as soon as I make a decision as to what exactly I'll sell and all that you can bet I will be announcing my Grand Opening here on this blog!!! Most likely it will be after our family moves. Oh yeah, did I mention that? I still have no idea where we will be moving to seeing as finding a place in San Diego for under $1000 is a joke! Ridiculous. And we get kicked out of student housing in January... yep, that's only like 6 weeks away and we will have to get out and go... who knows where!

We're hoping something will work out.

Thanksgiveaway

2009-11-30T07:00:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine who was my inspiration to follow my love of photography is doing a giveaway!

Mariah Baddas is giving away an all-inclusive session, what's cooler than a giveaway!?!?! Well, I love the way she is doing the giveaway... email her a nomination of someone who you think really deserves this, maybe this has been a rough year and they just would not otherwise be getting pictures done. Regardless of the reasons tell her the reason you think someone deserves this session and she will be choosing one through random.org... AND giving the person who nominates a FREE session... could it get better? YOU BET!!! She will travel ANYWHERE in the Continental US to meet the family nominated!!! Are you interested yet?!?!?! Check out her blog here for details on who to email... do it soon because this wonderful giveaway ends Christmas Day!!!!

Black Friday

2009-11-27T20:36:00.000-08:00

As Black Friday is coming to a close I just want to say I LOVE good deals!!!! As I have said before I get a glimmer of hope from getting a bang for my buck! Today I got some sweet deals as I'm sure did any one who went out today! My FAVORITE thing was that my husband and I got to go out together, it was our "date" for the week... well, maybe even for the month! Then at Sports Authority, they were giving out "bonus bucks" ranging from $10-500 and my husband and I each got $25! So, I got the Chargers Jersey I have been wanting for a LONG time! What's even better is that it was also one of the door busters, 30% off! So, I got a $60 Chargers jersey for only $17! HOORAY!!!!

The Greatest Gift

2009-11-26T07:00:00.000-08:00

A while back something happened in my life and I thought I lost a friend forever, and I didn't know what I did. I was devastated. The friendship base that I thought I had built was suddenly pulled out from under me and I felt as though I had fallen on my rear, and hard! After months of lots of tears and doing all I could think of doing I asked for forgiveness for whatever I had done. I was told that it was nothing... so I decided I really had done all I could and decided to just live my life as best I could and forge friendships with new people. For over a year that friend and I had barely even said, "Hello." Silly... yes I know... but I didn't know what else I could do to fix whatever happened.

I recently received an email from her... I can't even tell you how much it warmed my heart to have her say that she wants to be friends and keep in touch even after we move. Tears came to my eyes as I felt an incredible weight on my shoulders be lifted. I tell you this story not for you to think more of me or my friend, but to remind you and me that even when a relationship is strained for any reason, no matter how silly, there is always hope that the relationship can be rebuilt. And that is the greatest gift I have received in a long time. She will always be someone who I admire and have so much respect for and I am just SO happy that I can call her "my friend."

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Wishful Wednesday

2009-11-25T07:00:00.000-08:00

I found my dream watch!!!

Isn't it beautiful?!?!? This is the first watch I have ever been really excited about... usually I see watches and I think... eh... why bother? I have the time on my cell phone, that's good enough for me!

But when I saw this watch I couldn't help but think, "Now THAT is a watch I would wear!"

It almost looks like a gorgeous bracelet! I like that... a watch that doesn't look like a watch!

So... here's to today's Wishful Wednesday. Someday I will get this watch!

Hope and Happiness

2009-11-24T15:51:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to decide what to write about ALL day today! Finally I was reading through some quotes and found this one (I think it's part of a toast from a wedding or something, I couldn't find who specifically said it):

"May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, and enough hope to make you happy."

With this I started to think about what brings happiness into my life... so here are three things that bring me happiness and help me keep hoping for something better:

1. My husband, the greatest man ever who works harder than anyone could ever imagine was possible. He can always make me laugh, even when I feel the deepest of sorrow. I find great joy in thinking of spending all of eternity with such a wonderful man!

2. My boys (at least when they aren't driving me crazy) I think I needed to write about happiness because my toddler was driving me crazy earlier! I have so much hope for the future of my boys and our family. I hope the above quote is true for us that we will have just enough trials to make us strong!

3. My religion, this is where I find the majority of my hope. I like the idea of there being more to life than just the years we are here on earth.

What are three things that bring you happiness... or keep you hoping for something better?

Hope {for a favorable outcome}

2009-11-23T12:03:00.000-08:00

What favorable outcome am I hoping for today... the same thing I've hoped for for as long as I can remember!
A more fit body!
I would love to get down to a size 8! That is my ultimate goal which is still a few sizes away and is why I started doing Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred about a week and a half ago. There is no joking about it, Jillian is a killer trainer, but as she says, "when you start feeling it burn that's when you're making the big changes to your body." And that is exactly what I want. So I push through and at least it's just 20 minutes to endure!
(And what sane woman would not want a body like Jillian?)

It is also the reason I am excited about this giveaway over at Mormon Mommy Blogs. They are giving away Jillian Michaels' new fitness game for the Wii AND a Wii Fit Plus Board! (That's worth about $200 in prizes!)

I don't currently own a Wii, but I think we would get our hands on one some how if I won these!!! But if not I'll just try to keep up with Jillian on the 30 Day Shred!

(p.s. By the way I've already lost about 3 pounds, hopefully I can be good with the Holidays!!!)

Dream {a cherished aspiration}

2009-11-20T07:00:00.000-08:00

I would like to share with you a current dream I have! I don't care to ever become a "famous photographer". I don't need to have my photographs published in a magazine or anything like that. With photography my biggest dream is that people will be very excited to book appointments with me... and that I would have my "regular" clients... the other aspect of this is we need to stay in the same place!
Right now we don't know what will be happening come January. My husband will be done with school in December... and we don't even have a place to live come January (that's when we get kicked out of student housing). I know something will work out... it's just a little nerve wracking! Anyways, I look forward to some day being really established with photography and having all the supplies that I dream of having. Some day this dream WILL be mine!

Hope {believe in a positive outcome}

2009-11-19T13:53:00.000-08:00

I was blog browsing the other day and came across this post that is just wonderful! I am a member of this projects called 5000 Moms. If you're interested check out the site here.

I love the list of Five Actions To Maintain Hope which is given at the end.

1. Keep a list of miracles so you can remember how things of the past have worked themselves out.

2. Remember gratitude. A thankful heart is a hopeful heart.

3. God is in charge so you don't have to be. If your shoulders are feeling weighted down remember you don't have to carry it all.

4. Playtime. Make sure you are scheduling time to laugh and have fun. Put on your favorite dance music and take a mini-holiday with a twirl around the living room.

5. Give Service. Hope can be renewed when we give of ourselves. When we see the struggles of others we step out of our own troubles.

Wishful Wednesday

2009-11-18T07:00:00.000-08:00

So, to go along with the bed that I wished for last week, I'll finish off the bedroom set that I wish for which means a dresser and nightstands!

First I LOVE this Dresser:

The Metropolitan Arched Landscape Mirror and the Metropolitan 12-Drawer Dresser from Macy's, priced at about $1600.

Then for the nightstand I like this little guy:

The Metropolitan 3-Drawer Nightstand priced at about $500.

Oh yes, someday I WILL have such a lovely bedroom, with such wonderful furniture... can't you just picture it!

No more your and mine, just OURS

2009-11-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

My husband and I have been married for over 3 years now and last week we finally bought OUR first car! When we got married we each had our own car, then since we were a little strapped for cash we got rid of my husband's car and kept mine (since mine was paid off). Last week we sold my baby... yes that was the first car that I bought. It's kind of bittersweet letting go... but it had to be done! That car needed a couple thousand dollars worth of work, and I am planning on driving up to Sacramento for my little sister's graduation from Sacramento State, so we wanted to make sure whatever I was driving would get me there safely! And now we have a car that will save us on gas too!

It's a 2005 Hyundai Sonata and can I just say I feel so grown up with having this kind of car? It looks so professional... I LOVE it! But what I love the most is that we no longer have the car my husband brought into the marriage or the car I brought into the marriage... just OUR car! I thought it would be a lot longer until we had a nice car like this... but what can I say it worked out and Dreams do come true... you just never know when it will happen!

Hope {good will happen}

2009-11-16T07:00:00.000-08:00

Last week I went to the grocery store and was determined to save as much money as I possibly could! I took a few coupons that I had received in the mail and bought things on sale... I spent about $38 and saved $31!!! I saved 45%!!! I was SO excited! I guess this is just my little way of saying that you can still get a bang for your buck you just have to shop smart!!!
Part of keeping your hope alive means you have to make an effort. Despair is easy to sink into, you simply have to do nothing!
One thing I heard once was, "God can't steer a parked car." In other words you can't expect something for nothing. Keep plugging away my friends!

Ultimate crafters giveaway

2009-11-13T21:26:00.000-08:00

I am in LOVE with this giveaway... not only do they have the Madsen Bike's (which I think would be fun to have), but they have all kinds of fun crafting items such as the Yudu screen-printing machine, a Cricut Machine, a Book binder... and TONS more! A total of more than $3800 in gifts!!!!

Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme
TodaysMama and Provo Craft are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

1. What 5 items are on your holiday wish list this year?
   Canon Speedlite 430EX II Flash for Canon Digital SLR Cameras, Lowepro Beltpack Camera Bag Accessory Kit, wide angle 17-40mm f/4USM lens, Women's chargers jersey White, Thick Waist Belt
2. What is your favorite handmade gift you have received?
   a hooter hider! (I'm sure there are other handmade gifts that I love just as much, I'm just having a brain fart... so if you gave me something and I didn't put it as my favorite, I'm sorry!)
3. What handmade gift have you always wanted to tackle?
   A car seat cover
4. What was the best Christmas gift you received as a child?
   When I was really young I was given a Nutcracker by our adopted Grandparents, after that it became tradition to get me a nutcracker (whether it was an ornament or an actual nutcracker it was something along those lines)
5. What items are on your kid’s wish list this year?
   A Bike, anything with wheels, coloring supplies, books
6. What is your favorite holiday food?
   Candied Yams
7. What will you be hand-crafting for the holidays?
   I don't know if I should tell you all that I am hand-crafting... but I am making a few iSpy Bags!
8. What is your favorite holiday movie?
   White Christmas
9. Favorite holiday song?
   The Christmas Song
10. Favorite holiday pastime?
  One Christmas we spent with my dad's mom and my siblings and I stayed outside Christmas Eve playing in the snow until 1am! That was great!

Becoming Something More

2009-11-13T07:00:00.000-08:00

Have you ever sat down and thought how we are always becoming something more... more than we thought we would? Yes, there are ways that life isn't quite what we dreamed it would be, but would you change it? I wouldn't! I love my life with my husband and my two boys. I do still feel that there is a little girl that is suppose to be a part of our family. Whether she is my next baby or the child we adopt... there is a little girl who is suppose to be in our family! I often wonder is there any one else who gets that kind of feeling?

Dream {a cherished aspiration}

2009-11-12T07:00:00.001-08:00

Do you have a dream that you had as a child, but you are now so far from? I did. When I was in Elementary school I drew pictures ALL the time and I remember telling people, "I am going to be an artist for Disney some day." What's funny is if you asked the majority of friend's that I have now (that I have known since I got married, about 3 years) if I can even draw... well, they most likely would say, "I don't know." I do still love to draw, but I just don't do it as much as I once did. Some how that dream I had as a child has just slipped away. But there are new dreams that have taken it's place!

I love being a mom and my dreams have now changed to be dreams of how my children will change the world!

What dreams did you have as a child?

Wishful Wednesday

2009-11-11T07:04:00.000-08:00

Have you ever gone to a friend's home and seen how they have the perfect matching furniture, all the frames to their pictures are perfect and match... and it just looks like their home could have come straight out of a magazine? Someday I would LOVE to have that. Right now our financial situation just does NOT allow for much leeway when it comes to these "luxury" items. Lately I have found myself dreaming of how some day we'll have a house and how it will be decorated... or even how someday we'll have a table with a full set of chairs (my toddler has knocked over several of our chairs so many times that he has broken many of them). Anyways, I have decided that once a week I'll put a picture here of something that I've been dreaming of having in my someday! Today I'm actually going to start with a bed... yes I dream of having a Queen or King size bed! That's right, my husband and I both squeeze onto a double! So, with this there are actually two that I really like the design of. This first one I think would look so nice with taking photos.

from laylagrayce.com/ and costs about $2000.

This second one is more what I would love to have in my bedroom:

(Sorry I can't get a bigger picture)

This one is the Metropolitan Platform Bed from Macy's and is also about $2000.

I do like the look of the dark furniture, it just looks so classy (in my opinion).

But, for now our little double bed with the simple free bed frame that it came with works for us until we can afford the luxury of having a nice bed frame... oh some day I hope you come before my kids are all grown!

Hope {good will happen}

2009-11-10T07:00:00.000-08:00

One thing that gives me hope, the kind of hope where you believe good will happen, is every Sunday night my husband and I turn on the television and watch Extreme Makeover Home Edition. I love that my husband will watch it with me! The thing that gives me hope from watching this show is every week you see another family that makes a difference for good in the world... and even better... these wonderful people are given something that they just could not manage to do for themselves. And usually the reason they can't do it for themselves is because they are so busy doing things for others!

Every week I watch this show and feel the desire to find something I care about and make it a focus of my life through service in that area.

Welcome!

2009-11-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

I have created this site as one to share things to hope for, things we wish for, and the dreams we dare to dream. I believe there is much to hope for in life and that sometimes with all the bad that is going on it is difficult to see those things unless we focus on seeing them. That is what this blog is about. The second thing this blog is about is the wishes we have. Every Wednesday I will have what will be called Wishful Wednesday. I may share a wish of mine or wishes of others that I know or have heard about. I would encourage you to share your wishes in the comments as well! Isn't it fun to share them, but with someone you don't even know! I think it is, but I love to share with anyone! Finally the last part of the blog... dare to dream! Often in life you will have people who will stand in the way of your dreams, sometimes intentionally sometimes unintentionally. I am here to encourage you dream and reach for the stars!

If you would like to share this blog with others feel free to link here, or even grab my button:

YouData

2009-11-04T18:13:00.000-08:00

This is another legitimate site is one where you can make a little money each week. I've been signed up for this one for about a month and have received about $1.50. I realize that doesn't sound like anything, but just think how that $1.50 in one month maybe took 5 minutes of my time and over a year that's an easy $18 per year just for clicking on some links. That's enough for me to go on a cheap date night with my husband! For that I will take it! If you're interested in signing up click below:

Oh AND they do not ask for your address or social security number or anything like that, you are however required to have a PayPal account through which you receive payments.

Have you heard of SWAGBUCKS!!!!

2009-11-03T20:46:00.000-08:00

Have you heard of Swagbucks? If not, you should check it out! This is one of the easiest ways to win prizes. All you do is search the web and you win points (randomly).

I've only been signed up for about a month and already was able to cash in on a $5 gift card to Amazon.com (which is among my favorite sites). Now with the holidays coming I know you are all starting to think about Christmas gifts... and just think if you'd been doing this for the past 12 months and lets say you happen to be able to cash in on the $5 gift card once a month... you would have $60 to spend on Amazon.com, now wouldn't that be worth just doing a few searches through swagbucks.com?

OH and a quick tip... I've found that if you do just a couple of searches in the morning and a couple in the evening you are pretty likely to get a "swagbuck" at those times! At least that's how it seems to have worked for me.

Stroller Giveaway!

2009-11-03T20:28:00.000-08:00

If you have more than one child you should check out this giveaway! I would LOVE to have this stroller (as our every day stroller). Don't get me wrong, I really like my BOB stroller. But for going to the grocery store and other errands this stroller would be nice!

Click on the image above and check it out, get entered! And who knows maybe you'll WIN!!!!

Holiday Giveaways

2009-10-24T09:46:00.000-07:00

A couple sites with special holiday giveaways:The 2009 Holiday Gift guide starts November 1st and goes into December (that's just around the corner)!
Fabulous Fun Finds special Peppermint Giveaways is November 2nd through the 6th.Make sure to check them out and you just might be able to win something you can give someone for Christmas (or whatever holiday you celebrate)!

Party Hosting

2009-10-14T09:40:00.000-07:00

Today I was reading a post on this site:

and I got really excited at the possibility of hosting a Betty Crocker Cookie Mix House Party!!!! I have submitted an application to HouseParty to see if I might be able to participate in this even on December 5th. If I happen to get the opportunity to play hostess for this I'll definitely be posting pictures and let you all know how it goes! I think it's so cool that I might be able to host a cookie party and (if my application is approved) we can get a whole slew of things to be able to give people. For this particular party if you are selected as a host you will receive:

• 2 Betty Crocker^® Cookie Mix pouches

• A gift card for $15 to purchase baking items for the party

• Betty Crocker napkins, cups and plates

• 15 Betty Crocker spoons

• 1 Betty Crocker apron for the hostess

• 15 Recipe booklets

• 15 Grocery list pads

• 1 Christmas cookie magazine

How cool is that! Now I have my fingers crossed... hopefully I'll get selected!!!

Don't Text and Drive... and WIN!!!!

2009-10-13T11:31:00.000-07:00

You can win by pledging not to text and drive! How cool is that!?! It's already illegal here in California to text while driving, but I still see people do it as well as talking on the phone. I also admit that I have on occasion tried to send a quick text while at a stop light, but I don't do it while I'm driving... hello... SO not safe! Anyways, now you're probably wondering "So... you said something about winning?" Yes, I did... check it out:

You have all the way until November 2, 2009 to get entered to win $50 from Amazon.com! How cool is that!!!!

Site Spotlight

2009-10-12T18:35:00.000-07:00

Anybody out there that knows me knows that I am one of the biggest penny pinchers (an area where my husband and I are very different). So, would it surprise any of you that when I found this site:

I was THRILLED!!!! She has giveaways, coupons, and tips on everything from grocery shopping to good ways to earn a little extra income. What more could a penny pinching stay at home mom want!?!? I am very excited to try out some of those extra income tips. Thank you Frugal Friend!

The Original Scrapbox

2009-09-29T16:23:00.000-07:00

Amazing giveaway!!!! You can enter to win this Workbox

from The Original Scrapbox company.
There are a total of 10 (yes TEN) blogs that are participating.
This workbox (valued at $1295.00) is the Grand Prize,
but ten winners will get their choice of a
ScrapMaBob or a Ribbon Box.

Here are the blogs:

What an amazing chance to get organized!
If you are interested in just purchasing from
The Original Scrapbox
make sure you use the promo code:100Writes
it will save you $100 off your shipping!
Take a look at the blogs and enter away... and get organized!
One thing I feel that helps put me in a better mood
is organizing my home and finding a place for everything.
Because when something doesn't have a place to go
it ends up causing clutter!

No Painting

2009-09-28T10:41:00.000-07:00

I saw a clip from Rachael Ray's show today and she had Libby Landon on and she was giving tips on how to decorate walls when you aren't allowed to paintor leaveany permanent damage. If we weren't moving at the end of the year I'd be SO excited to try out some of these! One of the ideas that I liked was to draw on the wall with chalk, it comes off with Magic Eraser or with wipes. The other idea that I REALLY liked was to mix cornstarch and water, dip cotton fabric inside the mix and put the fabric on the wall it's like wall paper, but it comes off without damaging the paint. And if it ever starts to come off you can just dab some more water cornstarch mix on there and put it back on! If we rent again for awhile I know how I'll be decorating!!!!

Need a Pick me UP????

2009-09-22T14:10:00.000-07:00

This is a blog that one of my friend's from my college days. I have really enjoyed the messages that she posts. She is absolutely adorable and as beautiful as can be inside and out!!!

The other day I was feeling like I should be doing for our family, both spiritually and financially. I read the post Q&A: Stay At Home Mom, it was just along the lines of some feelings I had been having. I decided to read through some of the comments one of which referred to a talk given by President Gordon B. Hinckley, from the Church of Jesus Christ of Later-day Saints. If you want to read the whole thing click here. I just wanted to touch on part of it, that part which touched my heart, but there may be another part that will touch your heart so feel free to take the time to read the whole thing.

"Some years ago President Benson delivered a message to the women of the Church. He encouraged them to leave their employment and give their individual time to their children. I sustain the position which he took.

Nevertheless, I recognize, as he recognized, that there are some women (it has become very many in fact) who have to work to provide for the needs of their families. To you I say, do the very best you can. I hope that if you are employed full-time you are doing it to ensure that basic needs are met and not simply to indulge a taste for an elaborate home, fancy cars, and other luxuries. The greatest job that any mother will ever do will be in nurturing, teaching, lifting, encouraging, and rearing her children in righteousness and truth. None other can adequately take her place.

It is well-nigh impossible to be a full-time homemaker and a full-time employee. I know how some of you struggle with decisions concerning this matter. I repeat, do the very best you can. You know your circumstances, and I know that you are deeply concerned for the welfare of your children....

To the mothers of this Church, every mother who is here today, I want to say that as the years pass, you will become increasingly grateful for that which you did in molding the lives of your children in the direction of righteousness and goodness, integrity and faith. That is most likely to happen if you can spend adequate time with them.

For you who are single parents, I say that many hands stand ready to help you. The Lord is not unmindful of you. Neither is His Church.

May He bless you, my beloved sisters who find yourselves in the situation of single parenthood. May you have health, strength, vitality to carry the heavy burden that is yours. May you have loving friends and associates to bear you up in your times of trial. You know the power of prayer as perhaps few others do. Many of you spend much time on your knees speaking with your Father in Heaven, with tears running down your cheeks. Please know that we also pray for you."

I had been having the feeling that I wasn't doing enough (which I think is common), yet to have the reminder that what I am doing is of the utmost importance, the full-time job of being a mom. My boys mean the world to me, but just like any mom there are some days when I get overwhelmed with all my responsibilities. Like the days where T is running through the house like a tornado displacing everything he can get his hands on and my little B is crying and spitting up and I'm not sure what else to do to try to help him... and then I consider pulling my hair out because that would at least be something I would have control over! And yet when T and B give me those angelic little smiles I melt and the world seems right again. I am so grateful to have a husband who works so hard to try to make it so I can stay at home with these sweet boys.

Giveaways

2009-09-18T15:19:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite types of blogs to find are the ones that do giveaways... here are a few that I watch. Sometimes I just like being able to see the REALLY cute things they have, but sometimes I am really excited about their really cool giveaways!

Give Away Today, daily giveaways (Monday-Friday)

Fabulous Fun Finds, daily giveaways (Monday- Friday)

San Diego Bargain Mama, occasional giveaways but great resource for deals or discounts to stores, attractions, and events in the San Diego area

Riding with No Hands, occasional giveaways

Seventh Smith, Giveaways on Fridays

Another place I go to for giveaways is radio stations... many radio stations are starting to do things where you can earn points just for clicking on websites and then you can either bid on items or get entered in a raffle. Check out your local radio stations to see what they do. Here are two of my favorites, but there are more in San Diego, if you want to know of them let me know and I'll point you in their direction.

Star 94.1

New Country 95.7

Leave a comment with a website or blog that you frequent for good deals or giveaways!

Your Happiness Box

2009-09-12T13:58:00.000-07:00

Today I went to a WONDERFUL seminar, presented by a Psychologist from LDS Family Services. Even if you are not religious this is a great bit of advice for relationships. I wanted to share some of what she said with all of you because it really hit home for me.

Imagine that happiness is symbolized by a box, she did a demonstration with a woman and gave her a tissue box to hold. Now you probably worry about your spouse's happiness, so now you have another box to hold on to. If you have children or grandchildren, you now have their boxes. If you have siblings, you have boxes for them. Then if your parents are alive you have boxes for them... and if you have friends that you worry about their happiness you now have boxes that you are holding for them! By the time she was done listing off people this other woman may have in her life that she worries about their happiness she had a HUGE stack of tissue boxes that she was holding!

She does this activity with clients she sees and will then tell them they have to carry all these boxes around with them everywhere for the next week. If you're cooking dinner, or doing dishes they have to be on your back, like a back pack, if you're in the shower you have to put them in a bag and take them with you, when you drive somewhere you have to have them all on your lap. Now can you imagine trying to drive around with a bunch of tissue boxes stacked up to your chin? So, how do we handle our happiness box and the happiness boxes of others to have good relationships?

Well, just so you know where this woman was coming from she lost her father in a car accident when she was 12, had 5 siblings. Her mom was pregnant and lost the child and was critically injured in the accident (and didn't even know her husband was dead until awhile later, she didn't even get to go to her husband's funeral). Her father's siblings were also in the car and later her mom married a brother-in-law whose wife was killed in the accident. Talk about crazy family dynamics! This amazing woman had cousins who then became her step siblings and then they shared a half sibling, and on top of that her uncle became her step-father!

Later on this amazing woman got married (I think she said she was 23 at that time), at this point she said that when she got married she gave her husband her happiness box to carry, and he did, happily! She would say, "I think I'd be happier if you made more money," and he would just say, "okay, I can work on that." She had a husband that would do anything for her happiness. A few months after getting married her husband's doctor diagnosed him with Brain Cancer, however told her that it would be best not to tell him because he only had a few months to live and since he was so young (I think 25) it would be too hard for him to handle. So, she didn't and knew this secret for a few years before he died. Before he passed away they had a daughter together. After he passed away she felt as thou her happiness box fell to the ground and when this happens that's when a person starts feeling depressed. She realized that all her happiness was dependent on her husband. As a widow she went to live with her mom whose second husband had since passed away (as she put it, her mom was "an expert widow"). She began to pick up her happiness box and find satisfaction in her own accomplishments.
Then she decided to start dating again. When she did she said that the first guy she started dating she tried to hand him her happiness box to hold, but then he did what her husband never had done, he handed her his box! If he was expected to keep her happy, then she was expected to keep him happy! This was so different from what she had known and eventually her relationship with that guy ended and she met another guy who was younger and more handsome, but he did the same thing when she tried to give him her box! That relationship eventually ended as well and she felt her box drop.
She thought she was doing everything right, why wasn't God giving her the blessings she deserved? Why wouldn't God hold her box of happiness since she was doing everything she should! Well, she eventually had the idea that God does things out of love not out of control, and that is what we should do too. She was doing the "right" things expecting to get things in return (this would be control) and when we do this our happiness box can easily drop. So, she realized that God won't carry our happiness box for us, just like we shouldn't carry anyone else's happiness box. God will however support us through love and help us carry our happiness box! This is how we should go about in our relationships, we too should help others with carrying their boxes, through acts of love. We do have to be careful in the process of helping support others happiness boxes make sure they don't just hand us the whole thing! Sometimes people need to go through the challenge they are facing to help them grow. However this doesn't mean that we should just leave everyone to just deal on their own, we just need to be careful not to take on too much of the responsibility. At the same time we should not be giving our box of happiness to someone else and expect them to do things to make us happy! As parents the best thing we can do is make sure our children know we love and support them, but teach them how to be responsible for their own happiness!

I hope my thoughts from all of this make sense and can help someone, sorry if it's not very clear. Please feel free to leave your thoughts or comments! I'd love to hear what you have to say! In honor of this seminar and being responsible for our own happiness I found this great 6 day activity to create your own happiness box to help you reflect on the positive things in your life. Click here if you're interested in making your own happiness box!