February 2014
  

Inspirational Books - "Time Out Classics"

I've mentioned before that I loved the 2 opportunities that I had to attend a Time Out for Women event put on by Deseret Book. It's a great conference for women with inspirational speakers and musicians and it's a great "time out" and an inspiring and motivating experience that I have really enjoyed.

Recently, Deseret Book has published three new "Time Out Classics". These are small books that you can read in a short period of time and they are excellent, inspiring, and fun to read (like a little mini Time Out for Women! :)


Deseret Book sent me a copy of these three books, so I'm here today to tell you a bit about each of them:




Clever little book that takes the practical phrases most of us heard our moms repeat a lot when we were kids (and now we hear ourselves saying them to our children) and makes the connection between them and principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ. While making these comparisons, he gives examples of simple things parents can do to influence our families in profound ways.

I really liked this little book (it's just 56 small pages long) and would definitely read it again with the purpose of paying close attention for specific ways to apply these ideas in my life and with my family. I think after the first quick read, I came away with an overall idea but not too many practical applications, so I want to read through it again with the goal of making some specific goals. :)

Some of the cute comparisons he makes are "Wash Your Hands" (repentance), "Help Your Sister" (give service to others), "Ask Your Dad" (pray to Heavenly Father for help), and "Come and Eat" (feasting upon the words of Christ - the scriptures). I think as moms we can sometimes feel like our job is to do (and teach our children to do) a lot of mundane tasks and it can be tiring both physically and mentally. It's refreshing to take a step back and think of those everyday things as relating to much larger and eternally significant principles (which in turn will hopefully remind us to get in as many teaching moments as we can for those spiritual lessons amid the more physical/mundane ones.

It's called Everything I Need to Know I Learned at Home: An Encouraging Message for Moms, and I did feel encouraged by it!




This is a great little book (this one's 53 pages) that focuses on getting through difficult times. I think we ALL experience these "middle" moments (well, they don't feel like moments when you're in them - sometimes they feel like forever!) in our lives, and probably a lot more than once ;).

At the time of reading the book, I didn't feel like I was in the middle of any particularly difficult challenge (thankfully!), but I think I will go back to this book when I find myself "in the middle" again. The book is split into 6 small chapters, each with a lesson (kind of like a tip or suggestion such as "Turn to the Scriptures", "Rely on the Atonement", and "Continue to Minister".

Often when we hear people share publicly about difficult trials they have been through, we hear more about the result (the "payoff"), and not too much about what happens in the middle. It's the middle that's really challenging and when you're right there in it, it's hard to know when or if it will ever end! In each chapter, Emily shares examples from her life and from the scriptures of what happens "in the middle" and how to handle that part of the trial that's most difficult.

I think this would be a lovely, thoughtful little gift for anyone you care about who is going through a hard time - when you just wish there was something you could do to show that you care (even when you know nothing you could do would solve their challenge).



Habits of Happiness by Wendy Ulrich

This book outlines seven unexpected habits of happiness. Ideas that sound a little off at first, but when you think about it, they make a lot of sense! Such as: Don’t worry about your weaknesses, Don’t try to get motivated to exercise, Stop hoping to find friends, etc.

I think we all have times when we are frustrated because life/people/things in general are just not making us happy! That's when we need to be reminded that we have the power to make ourselves happy! We've just got to stop waiting around for things to be just right and instead DO something to make ourselves happy.

For example, don't try to get motivated to exercise (if you wait to be motivated, you may NEVER exercise! ;) Instead, do something little that feels tackle-able (even if all you are doing is putting on your running shoes with no real intention to run in them. Perhaps you will find that once they're on, you'll feel like stepping outside to check the mail; while you're out there you might find that it's a nice day and before you know it, you're thinking, "Well, I've got my running shoes on, I guess I'll go for a small jog." :) Just take a small step in the right direction and it may be gradual, but you'll find you're making a difference in your own happiness!

My favourite chapter is Chapter 5: Celebrate Failure. Wendy says, "if something is worth doing, it's worth doing badly." Meaning that we shouldn't 'not try' just because we don't think we can do something perfectly. Things that are worth doing are usually complicated and difficult. We have to try while making mistakes for a while before we can do something well. That's an important lesson for me, and a lesson I hope I can teach my children. She also talks about celebrating the effort put in and not just the successes- praising our children for the work they put in, and not just for being smart.

I love this book and I love the points that it makes- we are totally in control of our own happiness, we just need to remember that!



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February 2014 Sharing Time

Welcome to the February Link Party!

First, here's the week in review:

If you've been following along, then you know that I'm taking a Blog Break in February (more about that here).



I also have a Giveaway going on right now along with 9 other bloggers, so don't miss that!



And today, I'm posting this Sharing Time which will stay up for the rest of the month
(please come back each week & share your best posts!)

I look forward to coming back to the blog next month!

Now, on to the link party!


Please join the Raising Memories Sharing Time & add a link to your latest and greatest blog posts
about activities to do with your children or fun projects that you have done!
 ---------------------------------------
If you're participating, please share the button on your blog & "hop over" to at least one other blog post that's been linked up- let's support each other!










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It's All or Nothing - I'll See You in March!

Last month I shared my blogging resolution with you.  I set a goal to limit my blogging time and see how that went.  I wanted to see how much I could get done in a certain amount of time each day, and if I couldn't get something done in that time, it would have to wait.  I also wanted to see how much "other stuff" I could get done in my leftover time.

I was asked to share a follow up with you, and I did- one week after posting my original post.  That was when I renewed my resolution because quite frankly, I wasn't doing a good job of sticking with it!  Now, one month later, I am here to tell you that yet again, I am starting over.  Basically, I failed at my resolution for the month of January.  I did have some good days where I stuck to my goal, but I'm not too pleased overall.  

In my original post, I wrote that it was "to be reviewed at the end of the month and adjusted as needed".  So, that's what I'm doing.  I've been thinking about this for several days, and I've finally decided to make an "all or nothing" move with this blog.  Just like last month's resolution, this one will not be permanent.  Basically, you guys, I'm not doing so well with the whole moderation thing.  It's frustrating me and I am done with waiting around for myself to do better.  So, I'm cutting myself off (mostly) for a month.

I'm taking a blog break for the month of February.  

I'm hoping this will give me some time to remember what life is like completely sans blog- to get some of the things done that I keep running out of time to do (sewing projects, photo yearbooks, etc.) and to just clear my head of blog stuff for a while.  I'm hoping that coming back to blogging in March, I'll be able to re-try the moderation thing and hopefully do better.




Details:

I'll post the Sharing Time Link Party on Saturday and the same Sharing Time post will remain up for the month, so you can come back any time throughout the month to add links to it and check out each others' awesome posts.

I plan to return to the blog in full force in March! (Technically, I'll be back on the 28th- I have a book review for you that day!)

I have a lot going on in February, so I will be taking photos and will be ready to share a lot with you when I get back to blogging.  I will have 4 parties to share with you, as well as Talia's baptism.  I have recipes ready to share and at least a couple of product reviews coming.

February is my birthday month AND I am taking a solo trip to Utah to visit my little sister who is having her third little girl sometime around Valentines Day! (I can't wait to meet her & take pictures of her!)  While I'm on my blog break, you can check out some past photography posts of my sister & her family here:  Hilary & Eric 2007 (this was not long after I got my first camera ;), Hilary Maternity 2008, Baby Sierra 2008, Sierra is One 2009, Baby Brooklyn 2011, Family Photos 2012.  It's fun to look back at these and see my photography in years past :)

Don't miss me too much while I'm gone ;)  And please don't forget to come back here in March!  (but come back every now & then in February too, to see the great posts that will be linked up to Sharing Time :)



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February 2014 Sharing Time - Week 1

Welcome to the February Link Party!

First, here's the week in review:

Katrina wrote me a Funny Note:



I re-shared a Love One Another Activity that we did last year.



And today, a Big Giveaway went up!



Here's my favourite post shared in last month's Sharing Time Link Party! I'm planning to do this:



Now, on to the link party! Can't wait to see your February projects!


Please join the Raising Memories Sharing Time & add a link to your latest and greatest blog posts
about activities to do with your children or fun projects that you have done!
 ---------------------------------------
If you're participating, please share the button on your blog & "hop over" to at least one other blog post that's been linked up- let's support each other!










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Products We Love to Love - Giveaway!



What's better than a Valentine's giveaway that includes one of my absolute favorite products? How about a Valentine's giveaway with nine of my favorite bloggers and all of THEIR favorite products too?!



That's right- we've put together a Products We Love to Love giveaway for ONE lucky winner! The entire giveaway is valued at $245!



Check out what you can win:

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