I have my Dream Life

Here's my social media birthday message:

I'm really happy today as I reflect on my life... And what I've made it through and have been blessed with. I'm 32 and living the dream life I always wanted! (And I'm not talking about money and cars.. And trips...because that's not what my mean.)

I'm pleasantly overwhelmed with how much joy I have daily with a mentally stronger family than I had growing up. I feel loved, safe, and respected. I am happy to have a strong marriage with open communication.... and great kids who are healthy and able to tell me when I'm mean...or pretty much their favorite.

Today, I am grateful for a living Heavenly Father and the Savoir, Jesus Christ, who love me openly when I forget I'm not alone. I'm grateful that I (and anyone) can get answers to questions and direction as I ponder the word of God, pray, and act in faith upon promptings from the Holy Ghost.

Have a great July 20th! I'd have you all over for dinner if I could, really!!!! 

My aged advice: 

How I Got the Courage to Wear Red Lipstick

 Up until last Sunday, I'd never worn red lipstick in my life. I've had plenty of time...but I've put it off. Last month, I went into Nordstrom and asked a lady at the Mac counter to help me find a red lipstick I might actually look good in. After about 15 minutes and 5 or 6 colors, I felt defeated and ran away, having my lips wiped clean with a makeup wipe (a cleverly re-named baby wipe). I did take one thing from this experience, lip liner makes a big difference.

So, a few weeks later, I was walking through Target--as women love to do--and found myself staring at the red lipstick display by Revlon. I spent maybe 20 minutes staring at these little tubes of bright red color wondering if I cold pull them off. The $5 price was what made me grab three sticks of potential success and one lip liner, throwing them into my basket intentionally. I walked away, refusing to re-think about what I was purchasing. I figured that I didn't have as much money to loose as I might at the Mac counter and I was ready to take a chance. 

11 Things I Wish I Learned Earlier

I’m 31 and am learning new lessons each year. Some simple, some profound...and some mediocre. As I thought about them, there were some I wished I had learned earlier in life. That is what this list is about. So, here’s my list of stuff I wished I’d learned earlier in life...but am happy I know about it now! If you don’t know some of these, I’ll be glad to share them

1. How to get bobby pins to stay in my hair.

   Answer- Apply hairspray first to give the pins to grab onto and use more than one bobby pin. Finish with more hairspray if needed. 

My mother was a red head, and she had coarse dry hair. She was also adopted when she was 5. I grew up being told she wasn’t able to do my hair because her mother never knew how to do hers. Anyway, thanks to my wonderful new acting friend, Brandon, whom I was honored to act beside in October 2014, I have a better idea on what’s what when it comes to styling my own hair. Brandon did my 50’s style hair for the play, and in real life--he’s a hairdresser and college student. He used professional (cosmetology store level) bobby pins too...which were so so so much better than the ones I could purchase at Target. So, now I have a chance in styling my own future hair. It’s a miracle! (Here's a video tutorial on using bobby pins.)

Moscow Co-Op’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pullman, WA, is 8 miles from Moscow, ID, and the Moscow Food Co-Op. It smells like the co-op in Bellingham, WA, where we lived for the first 6 years of our married life. So, I love it even more because it reconnects me with memories. In fact, the first time we went into the co-op we saw a box marked, "Lost and Found". It contained the typical hippie things...various BPA free water bottles, Birkenstock saddles, bike locks, t-shirts made of hemp, and to our delight--a recorder (the kind you play music on in 5th grade). It made me grin. 

Anyway, they make some awesome cookies! My favorite cookie is their moist, nutty, and chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies. When I found the co-op's PDF cookbook on their website (which is NO LONGER THERE NOW!!), I quickly skimmed it for this dessert...and FOUND THEM! I danced around my living room like a young girl on Christmas morning. I put off making them since I knew it would be dangerous for my waistline...but the day came yesterday and I bought the whole wheat pastry flour at Winco in the bulk foods section. (I know it's not exactly co-op organic...but its cheaper and tastes the same.) Max, my 2-year-old, helped me to make these and he couldn't stop eating the chocolate chips out of the dough.

Today, I'll share with you the recipe. The whole wheat pastry flour gives them a different slightly earthy flavor (healthy-ish) which I really enjoy. But, these are not healthy.

Book Review: “Don’t Put Lipstick on the Cat-- Humorous Tales of Motherhood” by Kersten Campbell

There are many things that cross over a mother’s lips which she never predicted would be necessary prior to having children. Mother and author Kersten Campbell memorializes one of those statements in the title of her second book, “Don’t Put Lipstick on the Cat-- Humorous Tales of Motherhood”. Last week, I had the opportunity to sit back on my couch and enjoy the relatable content between planned and emerging mommy duties, which was easy due to it’s format. Kersten has curated a playful collection of short stories taken from her own life and even some from her family's. I felt like I was sitting in a room with my friend listening to her entertain, delight, and frighten me all at the same time. I know every mom has lots of funny stories to tell, but this author has the talent to write them down with brave sincerity, wit, and  greatly appreciated brevity.

Now, I mentioned that Kersten’s stories frighten me. I’ll explain. I have only two children-boys; one is 5 and the other is 2. (They’re still small enough to pick up and put in bed.) I’m putting on a brave face, but after reading the stories in “Don’t Put Lipstick on the Cat-- Humorous Tales of Motherhood”, inside I'm terrified for my boys to become teenagers. There’s so much more to learn...and experience. It just sounds exhausting! Her stories describe the things her five children--who span teens to toddlers-- do to each other and herself without holding back the embarrassing details. Kersten’s parenting style is loving but her fatigue is apparent when nobody listens to her…. for the hundredth time! (Who can’t relate to that?) Anyway, I decided early on in the book, that these were not stories I would read aloud to my children. Instead, I would recommend hiding the book from any children who can read. Otherwise, children could get ingenious ideas on how to irritate and torture their mother...or heaven forbid, grandmother!