When I was a junior in high school, my Mom sent out her annual Christmas newsletter to all our family and friends.  In it were the usual rundowns of what each of us kids had been up to for the past year. 


You can imagine my surprise, when upon reading the copy she saved for us to put with the other newsletters of years past, I came to this sentence. 

"Katy's becoming just like her father in every way.  (ie: personality, talents, chest.)"

I gasp.....and soon the house was filled with cries of "Mom!  I can't believe you wrote this!"

Smiling, she chuckled a bit and replied, "Well, was it a lie?  You are like your Dad."

Later, I discovered she had sent it to my older brother on his mission in Texas, who got such a huge kick out of it, that his entire District knew of my "lack of womanly curves".

It wasn't until after I'd calmed down, that I looked at the other aspects about me that she thought I'd gotten from my Dad.  He had a heart of gold and was a friend to all.  He also had a gift for lighting up a room with his optimistic disposition.  He loved to sing and play the piano, and did both with style and feeling....even if he played a note or two wrong.

My mom really had given me one of the best compliments ever.

So of course I couldn't stay annoyed at her for long.....my Mom just had that type of humorous personality.  Still does to this day.  And heaven knows, with every year passing, I'm turning into her.

And really, when all is said and done.....I'm grateful for the parents that I have...for all the love and support and strength they have given me my entire life.

Flat chest included.

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Katy is a mother, wife, blogger and lover of everything "lovely, of good report or praiseworthy".  Her roller coaster of thoughts can be found at Our Daisy Life.  Admission is always free.




*picture self owned

I think perhaps, I am a "frumpy mom."

For example, a wedding ring is for wearing, did you know that? I often find days or weeks pass without wearing mine. It's a lovely ring, given to me by the man of my dreams, and I adore it. However with busy hands that are frequently soiled and covered in things not fit to dirty a diamond ring, more often than not, my pretty little rock camps out on the ring holder high on a shelf, away from grabby kid-hands in the bathroom.

Confession: I have never owned an apron. Like ever in my entire life.

I know, right?

How do I not get stuff all over my swanky clothes when I cook?

Well, I have no swanky clothes, and I have embraced the fact that I am a crazy hot mess when I cook.

I’ve seen those super cute Flirty Aprons in the mall, and sort of wanted one. Because who doesn’t want to look good when their cooking for their man? I do.

Flirty Aprons are made from 100% soft cotton fabric. They have quality construction and won’t fade or tear. My only complaint is that the neck part you have to tie, and it sort of bugs me. I would have rather had the neck been a continuous fabric. That is my only complaint with the apron. Every thing else is awesome! I love wearing it in the kitchen.

It’s funny how something so simple, like an apron, can make you feel like a million bucks. Cooking can be a messy sport, and this apron makes me feel not just good about myself, but attractive, too.

I had my sister wear it while she made dinner recently. isn’t she a cutie in it? Making dinner seemed a little less like a chore and more like something glamorous in this cute Kitchen Apron, called Scarlet Blossom.

Flirty Aprons is following the trend of the “Trash the Dress”  phenomena and encouraging everyone to trash their old apron while they wear their new Flirty Apron.

They are even having a YouTube contest where the most creative Trashing gets a full refund on their apron AND $100 Visa Gift Card.

Just use the code BB20 when you purchase your apron, then make a creative trashing of your old apron video and enter to win a full refund and $100 Visa Gift Card.

All you have to do is:

1. Pick out sweet new apron at www.flirtyaprons.com
2. Use the code BB20 and take 20% off your order.
3. Make creative video of  you destroying your old apron and post it on YouTube (Make sure to use Flirty Aprons in the title of your YouTube videos)
4. Email your video links to matt@flirtyaprons.com by September 10th at 11:59 PST

We’re super excited to see all of our Mormon Mommy Bloggers participate in this fun contest!

This post was sponsored by Flirty Aprons through Broadcast Bloggers. All opinions are our own.

 

 

Through the years of infertility support, I have often been asked how to choose a good infertility doctor. The road to finding the right doctor is not always the easiest. Here are a few tips to help you along the way.



1. Personal Preferences
Make sure you think about your preferences first and foremost. The reason being....you are going to spend much "personal" time with the doctor you choose.  All you women out there know what I am talking about.  Decide if you like someone with a caring bedside manner, or if you like someone who just gets the job done. How far are you willing to travel? What are you willing to pay?

2. Get suggestions from friends
Ask your friends. Ask very specific questions on why they like a doctor. Please remember, just because a doctor is great with your friend who has three kids, doesn't mean that the doctor is great with infertility. Also, ask someone with infertility.  If you live in Utah, I know many doctors (cause I have seen almost all of them on the Wasatch Front ;o) you can always ask me.

3. Cost
Cost is important.  Be clear and specific when asking about cost.  You will be paying out of pocket unless you are lucky enough to have insurance that will pay for it (don't even get me started on infertility and insurance)  Understanding the cost can help you plan for the future and help you have a goal for savings.

4. Research
Research online. Be aware of the conditions you have and be educated on what they are and how to find help. Know your own body, learn about your body.  This will help you find solutions and set goals for better health.  In my personal opinion, as someone who has been there done that, I suggest staying away from forums to get information on a specific condition or medication.  They are great for support, but not always accurate with health information.

I hope that this makes the process of finding a doctor a bit easier.  Always ask if you need help or suggestions, I am just a click away :o)

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Kelly is wife and a longtime infertility friend.  She has personally battled infertility for 7 years and counting. She blogs at giving what i am  about her journey and provides support and advice for others with  infertility. She recently moved to Charleston, close to one of the best  infertility clinics in the country.  When she is not waging the war  against infertility, she focuses on her talents and interests, including  crafting, sewing, reading, and much more!



Photo credit  -- digitalcat

Bickering between siblings was considered an inescapable fact of family life by everyone I knew. Still, I hated it. I wanted a family of peacemakers, not rabble-rousers. I taught my little people to follow Jesus–yet the daily, even hourly, disputes grated my spiritual nerves raw.  King Benjamin's commandment that “neither will ye suffer that they transgress the laws of God, and fight and quarrel one with another" spoke directly to me.

Even as the rightness of the principle pressed upon my mind and occupied my feelings, I knew that another FHE lesson wasn’t going to cut it. What more could I do in my little vineyard? The answer was in there…just a nudge or two from the Spirit and I might yet come off conqueror!
Determined to act instead of being acted upon, I eventually reasoned that the munchkins needed to learn to settle their own spats and that boiled down to…communication skills! Ah-ha! Now we’re on to something! A crazy idea started to piece itself together in my imagination and a whoosh of light gave me the tingles.
I rearranged the living room so that Grammy’s big, round, rag rug was front and center, then called the kids to a “come-to-Jesus” meeting.
“Here.”I explained, “is The Rug”. From now on, any parties suffering a disagreement will be immediately referred to “The Rug”. The parties in question will face each other, sitting Indian-style, knees touching (absolute rule). You will have to decide who presents his case first. The other will have to listen without interruption. When Party One is completely aired out, then Party Two speaks his mind – same courtesies applied.”
Now the clincher: NO ONE WOULD BE ALLOWED TO LEAVE THE RUG UNTIL BOTH PARTIES AGREED ON A RESOLUTION.
They were intrigued, even enthusiastic about what sounded more like a game than a consequence. It wasn’t long of course, before the first “players” competed for my attention. “STOP!” I covered my ears. “On The Rug!!!” They marched off and I watched them from a crack in the door. Quietly and with childlike reasoning, they established their defenses. Within ten minutes the two of them ran off together to do something completely different. Wow, I marveled. It worked!
And it continued to work for the next several years. It got to the point that all I had to say was, “On The Rug!” and they settled on the spot, one or the other acquiescing. Sometimes the litigation morphed into more of a contest of who would be the peacemaker first.
What seemed “natural” (to fight and quarrel) became “unnatural” in our home with just a little faith, creativity, and consistency. In Elder Ballard’s words: "People [your children] deserve quality alternatives that you [mama], with the influence of the Holy Spirit, are capable of providing."

Mona muses inspirational every Sunday at Mona's Gospel Musings and preaches romance in marriage at Mona's Musings with a Hint of Romance. She is the mother of four plus three, grandmother of two, and the award-winning author or With Mine Own Hand: The Musical Account of Nephi. For a daily Hint of Romance, go to Mona's Musings on Facebook.



Photography from Dreamstime