Category Archives: Uncategorized

So… Whatcha doin’ in February?

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I will be speaking at the Story@Home conference in Salt Lake City, Utah on February 1-2. I’m sorry I didn’t post about this sooner. You will have the chance to register for quite a while, but today is actually the last day for early-bird (discounted) registration.  What is the conference, you ask? It is co-hosted by FamilySearch and Cherish Bound, and here’s what it’s about:

No matter how you tell your stories – through your family history, at your child’s bedside, on your blog, or from a stage – your stories matter. Join us for a conference that will change the way you see your stories and the world, and help you connect in new ways with those you cherish most.

Workshops and performances by award-winning storytellers, performers, and speakers will help you explore ways to use the power of story in your home. You’ll be able to record your own story, start on some research to learn more about your family’s history, get started on a blog and learn how to tell your story through social media.

I’d love to have you join us. I will be teaching a workshop called “Recording Life Authentically,” plus I have two other friends speaking there who I know are phenomenal teachers… so I’m saying I can promise quality.  Here is the website for more information and registration. If you think you’re interested, jump on it today for the discount. 🙂
p.s. Happy Halloween.  May the force be with you.

Post-Halloween Party Idea

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I know this blog is not typically a gathering place for tips and party ideas, but occasionally I have a stroke of genius, so I thought I’d share. I’ve had this idea for years, and I’m finally trying it out this Halloween. I think it’s a great way to gather friends together, whether your own or your kids’, and just have a little fun.

And of course you could just do these activities with your own family.  That counts as a party too, right?

Here’s the invitation template and if you’d like, you can download it as a .pdf file by clicking here:



The party concept is really simple. Every guest brings a small baggie full of leftover Halloween candy. Stock up on some big buckets of vanilla ice cream, set up a blender bar, and let everyone make Blizzard-style milkshakes out of the leftover candy of their choice. Then play a few candy-bar games together (There’s a list of links explaining them below.), and just laugh and enjoy the company.

The Candy Bar Game with Gloves, Utensils, and Dice: This blogger plays by rolling for doubles. In my family, we always played with one die and switched turns whenever anyone rolled a six, always announced by everyone yelling “SIX!!!”

The Brown Bag Candy Bar Game: In my family, we played it this way, except that you could steal candy bars in any round, not just the last three rounds.  That way, we all tried to be so discreet when we chose a candy bar so that no one would see what we picked and then steal it.

Candy Bar Pass and Swap Game: In this game, each roll of the dice requires a different kind of candy swap or transfer. It would be fun to put a few duds in the mix (like black licorice or raisins that would be like the “Old Maid” everyone wants to get rid of).

Candy Bar Memory Game: Make up code names for the candy on cards and whoever makes the match, wins the candy.

Wrapped Candy Bar Challenge:  This is similar to the gloves, utensils and dice game above, but with some interesting variations to make it tricky to get to the candy.

So there you have it.  Pinterest, eat your heart out. 🙂

So I owe you a postcard, right?

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Back in early summer, I made many of my reader/victims watch and vote incessantly for this video that was entered into a contest at Deseret Book to promote their new momedy web series, “Pretty Darn Funny.”  (They really are clever episodes; you should go check them out.)

Behold my entry (which, in retrospect, is public evidence that I have very little pride):

And here is the amazing thing:  I WON. I won, I won, I won!  And so right now, at this very second (Honest to goodness. I pre-scheduled this post the day before I left), I am floating around in the ocean with my husband ON A CRUISE to the Mexican Riviera.

Since I could not have won without your tireless voting– I mean, seriously, some of you went back to that site every day and clicked your mouse over and over again out of pure love. :)– I know I owe you something. I wish I could bring you all back sombreros or something, but this postcard will have to do:

Yay. THANK YOU!!!  You can be jealous for this week, but then you’ll laugh at me when I’m back and I’m crashing and burning and trying to catch up with real life again.  I’ll take pictures. 🙂

Especially for Who? (and a giveaway, too)

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Some of you may be familiar with the Especially for Youth program. It’s a week-long LDS youth conference where teens can socialize, learn, interact, and set goals, all in a “For the Strength of Youth”-focused setting. I’m kind of a fan (except I wish it were free). I was a youth counselor for 5 years in the 90s (shut up), and I’ve been teaching at EFY sessions since 2006.  Each year the program theme focuses on the theme scripture that the young men and young women’s programs have selected.  So for 2012, the theme is:

“Verily I say unto you all: Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations” –Doctrine and Covenants 115:5

I have a confession to make. I was kind of a super-cheesy Mormon teen. Every day after school, I would drop my backpack on my bed, pop in my Janice Kapp Perry (or similar goopy inspirational) cassette tape into my boom box (again, shut up), and study to lyrics like, “Walk Tall, You’re a Daughter of God.” Once I grew into adulthood, I found that my appetite for that kind of music had been pretty much saturated.  Even now, I can’t really listen to it without feeling a tad bit nauseous.  BUT. The new music, like what they put on the EFY CDs nowadays, is much more modern and palatable. I actually quite like it, and it’s not just for Sabbath music. Some tracks are upbeat, and different songs have different vibes. Did you know you can buy the EFY CDs at your local LDS bookstore?  They’re not just for youth, and I’m suggesting you might like them. I’m all for playing music in the car that my kids can like and it’s totally SAFE.

You can listen to samples of all the tracks here. So, Do you WANT ONE? I have two, yes TWO copies to give away . . . if you don’t mind that my curious children actually opened up one of them.

I will tell you that I particularly like to put on track one, “Arise and Shine,” to wake my kids up in the morning.  They just love it when I belt out the words ARISE AND SHINE while lifting them out of their beds and shaking their sleepy selves. Truly.

How to win a copy? Just tell me you want to. And I’d love to hear confessions of the cheesy LDS music you used to listen to.  I promise this newer stuff is SO much better. I’ll announce winners next Monday.

(small print: These copies were given to me by myldsradio.com for a giveaway promotion that I volunteered to do. CDs can be purchased at http://www.yourldsmusicstore.com/)

The Gift of Giving Life

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First of all, I’m not pregnant.  Just want to clear that up from the beginning.

I have, however, been pregnant on at least 3 occasions, and pregnancy and birth are simply a marvel.  I think the birth process is teeming with symbolism about the Savior, and bringing life into the world can be an extremely sacred experience.

This post is a stop on the Virtual Book Tour for The Gift of Giving Life.

A few women I know and respect have contributed to this new book, “The Gift of Giving Life.”  It is very thorough collection of essays from women who address pregnancy, birth, delivery, post-birth, and nursing from a uniquely LDS perspective.

It is a large book with a lot of essays and shared experiences.  Many of them brought me to tears– some for joy, some for pain.  I think the book does a good job of addressing the many different kinds of birth experiences (from home births to scheduled C-sections), but because birth decisions are so personal, it’s always hard to write or read about them without being tainted by one’s own personal experience and preferences.  (Personally, I think we should all let each other handle birth and pregnancy and parenting in general in ways that trust one another’s motherly instincts, personalities, and preferences and spend less time trying to convince each other of why our way of doing things is the best way.  Moms do the best they know to do and we shouldn’t diminish one another’s experiences.  And the book doesn’t do that, but it’s just a little soapbox issue I have.)

Anyway, I recommend the book, with the caveat that the essays and experiences shared within, while inspirational and often very insightful, are personal (some are a little speculative) and do not represent any official LDS doctrine.  It’s a beautiful book that shows a lot of work and research, and it’s a wonderful collection about the joy and spiritual meaning that can be found in our unique role as women and life-givers.

Visit The Gift of Giving Life site to sign up for their newsletter and to receive a free Meditation MP3 as well as tips to help increase spirituality in your pregnancy and birth.

For my readers, I have a coupon code for 10% off a copy of The Gift of Giving Life.   Click here and after you add the book to your cart use this coupon code.  GWFWXR3F  This code is good until Father’s Day 2012.