When Life Doesn't Go the Way You Planned

I wrote this blog post in July. Then I chickened out and left it as an unpublished draft.
It's exactly 19 weeks later (many Thursdays since) and I thought of this post, re-read it, and decided to go ahead and post it. Maybe some of you will be able to relate to it. Maybe you'll have something to share from your own experience. Either way, I guess I just felt ready to share it, so here it is:

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If you've been following my blog for a long time, you might remember when I used to post "Thursday Thoughts". It's been a long time since I wrote a post, just sharing my thoughts, and it seemed about time.

It's weird.
It's like our Disney trip separates our life now from our life before it.
Everything before Disney seems so far away.
Everything after Disney has been very difficult. (Well, not everything, but many things)

Building a Sick Day Kit

This post is sponsored by Bayer. To make sure these products are right for you, always read and follow the label.

Ahhh snow.... and cold... and colds... how did we get here again?

Now that the chillier days of the year have arrived, it’s time to be extra vigilant in the fight against those pesky viruses ready to wreak havoc on your health. But if you find yourself in a losing battle against sickness, make sure you’re armed and ready to face it head on.

Here are some ideas for building your own sick day kit, so you can be ready for lots of different types of sick days!

2018 Forgotten Carols Tour

One of the things I'm really looking forward to this Christmas season is the chance to attend The Forgotten Carols. When I was attending University at BYUI, we had the opportunity to see The Forgotten Carols. One of our friends was in the play, as one of the "homeless" men. Now, over 15 years later, I can look back on that night and remember specific, detailed moments from it. I loved that show!

I'm so excited to be living in Utah this year, so we're close enough to attend a performance. Ken & the girls have only ever seen a recording of it (and listened to the CD many times every Christmas season). I can't wait to go, see the show in person again and to share it with my family!

Here are some details about the show & how you can get tickets:

Day 11: Chocolate Gift Basket

Today we're giving away a Chocolate Gift Basket from Ticket Chocolate!

If you missed the announcement, it's Gift Guide Giveaway time and today is Day 11!

You can keep track of all Gift Guide posts from the announcement page.

As part of last year's gift guide I shared how my love of Ticket Chocolate began years ago when someone sent me some in the mail and that I loved dipping the chocolate-on-a-stick into steaming milk to create a delicious, gourmet drink. I wanted to share a few of their other products with you, too.

Day 10: Personal Scriptures

Today we're giving away a set of Journaling Scriptures from Line Upon Line!

If you missed the announcement, it's Gift Guide Giveaway time and today is Day 10!

You can keep track of all Gift Guide posts from the announcement page.

If you're a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints then you know that we use more than one book of scripture. We use the Book of Mormon and Doctrine & Covenants in addition to the Bible. Recently, a couple of ladies who are members of the church started a company called Line Upon Line and they have created journaling scriptures. Whether you share a religion with me or not, if you read the Bible, I think you'll be interested in thees. I'm excited to share them with you!

Day 9: Book Subscription Box

Today we're giving away a Kids' Book Box from Bookroo!

If you missed the announcement, it's Gift Guide Giveaway time and today is Day 9!

You can keep track of all Gift Guide posts from the announcement page.

I have partnered with Bookroo and was provided with a box of books in exchange for my thoughts. All opinions shared are my own. Affiliate links are provided should you decide to purchase Bookroo products from my review. 

You all know that I love a good non-toy gift for my kids and what you may also know is that I have two girls who are big on reading. So I LOVE what Bookroo is doing and think their monthly book subscription box would make an amazing gift for kids!

Day 8: Citrus Pear Frozen Meals Gift Card Giveaway!

This post is sponsored by Citrus Pear.

Today we're giving away a $50 Gift Code to Citrus Pear!

If you missed the announcement, it's Gift Guide Giveaway time and today is Day 8!

You can keep track of all Gift Guide posts from the announcement page.

Who wouldn't love a gift that makes their life easier? Citrus Pear provides classes for preparing healthy freezer meals that can be made in your crock pot or pressure cooker. I attended a class recently and am about to share all the details with you!

Pink & Blue Small Living Room Decor

This post was sponsored by Wayfair.

When we moved to Utah we chose a rental townhouse with kind of a strange layout. There are 3 narrow floors with no basement so the first floor is just the garage and the living room. It's a fairly small living room with a few unique layout features that made it tricky to work with but I am so excited to share it with you now that we have it all figured out!

We came to Utah without a lot of furniture, so I was able to start mostly from scratch in decorating this room. That was really fun but also very challenging because I was trying to do it on a very small budget. I wanted the room to feel beautiful and homey. I wanted it to feel cohesive and I think I was able to do that by choosing a couple of colors to focus on.

Day 7: Personalized Plum Paper Planner

Today we're giving away a Planner from Plum Paper!

If you missed the announcement, it's Gift Guide Giveaway time and today is Day 7!

You can keep track of all Gift Guide posts from the announcement page.

Day 6: Personalized Jewelry & Ornaments Giveaway

Today we're giving away a gift card for The Vintage Pearl!

If you missed the announcement, it's Gift Guide Giveaway time and today is Day 6!

You can keep track of all Gift Guide posts from the announcement page.

Day 5: Wood Watches Giveaway

Today we're giving away a Wood Watch from JORD!

If you missed the announcement, it's Gift Guide Giveaway time and today is Day 5!

You can keep track of all Gift Guide posts from the announcement page.

Day 4: Flybar Scooter, Pogo Stick, & Pogo Ball Giveaway

Today we're giving away a Pogo Stick, Scooter, or Pogo Ball!

If you missed the announcement, it's Gift Guide Giveaway time and today is Day 4!

You can keep track of all Gift Guide posts from the announcement page.

Day 3: Ste. Anne's Day Spa for 2 Giveaway

Today we're giving away a Day Spa for 2 at Ste. Anne's Spa!

If you missed the announcement, it's Gift Guide Giveaway time and today is Day 3!

You can keep track of all Gift Guide posts from the announcement page.

Day 2: Jo Totes Camera Bag Giveaway

Today we're giving away a Jo Totes Camera Bag!

If you missed the announcement, it's Gift Guide Giveaway time and today is Day 2!

You can keep track of all Gift Guide posts from the announcement page.

November 2018 Sharing Time Link Party

Welcome to the November Link Party!

Day 1: PlasmaCar Giveaway

Today we're giving away a PlasmaCar!

If you missed the announcement, it's Gift Guide Giveaway time and today is Day 1!

You can keep track of all Gift Guide posts from the announcement page.

2018 Holiday Gift Guide Giveaway Days

It's Gift Guide Giveaway time and this year, more of you will get to win!

Instead of having 2 "winner takes all" style giveaways like last year, this year there will be a new item featured each weekday for a couple of weeks, and a new giveaway for every single item featured!

I'm excited to share some of my favorite gift ideas with you! I'm including some old favorites and some new discoveries. I hope you get great inspiration for your holiday shopping and your personal wish list!

Giveaway Days Details