Tag Archives: blogging

Another installment of “Dear Wise Readers”

Posted in Diapers, Divinity by

Dear wise readers,
This is a post where I temporarily stop pretending that I have all the answers to all the questions in the universe, and I direct some of the more important ones to you, because even General Conference didn’t answer all of my questions (and I was so sure one of the apostles might have tips on muffin pans).  Let’s start there, shall we?

  1. I hate my muffin pans.  The “no-stick” stuff isn’t, and the pans get rusted where it scrapes off, and they’re impossible to clean and keep clean.  Does anyone have a recommendation for muffin pans that they love?  I would prefer for them to be dishwasher safe, but maybe there’s no such thing.
  2. I’m having a little bit of a blog identity crisis.  My entire blog (including the title) is built on the premise that I’ve been changing diapers every day since 2003, and now that’s . . . well, it’s not true anymore.  (Knock on wood.)  All of my children are now potty trained, and only the youngest wears pull-ups at nighttime.  This new development makes me want to sing the Hallelujah chorus to strangers on the street, but as far as blogging goes, it kind of makes me feel like a fraud.  I’ve thought about changing the name of the blog, but that doesn’t seem right because the whole point is the juxtaposition of our daily, menial tasks with our greater, divine mission of motherhood.  What do you think?  (Anyone who suggests that I should fix this problem by having another baby is hereby banned from my blog.  Banned! You hear me?)
  3. Right now I’m feeling a deep love-hate relationship with Cadbury.  That’s not really a question, but I needed to get it off my hips chest.
  4. Do you feel as much joy as I do that Spring is actually in the air?  There’s something so exhilarating about sunshine and warmth after a long cold winter.  (This excitement is counterbalanced by a lovely reminder that soon my body will have to wear a swimsuit.  Probably in public.  Refer to #3.)
  5. All joking aside, I’m anticipating that I will soon experience something I like to call “post-Conference depression.”  It’s the point where a few weeks after General Conference, you realize that you are still the same, lazy person you were before you got all pumped up and energized by the talks.  Anyone who reads my blog knows I love General Conference.  I love it.  I feel like it’s half pep rally/half spiritual boot camp— a veritable showering of truth, encouragement, reproach, exhortation, and Spirit.  I feel brought down and lifted high at the same time.  My heart and my mind have a continual dialogue at Conference, and where they come together in harmony, they leave goals and hopes and iron-clad intentions.  And then a few weeks later, I feel much like the man who asked President Uctdorf for some advice:

I wrote back to him and lovingly suggested a few specific things he could do that would align his life more closely with the teachings of the restored gospel. To my surprise, I heard back from him only a week later. The essence of his letter was this: “I tried what you suggested. It didn’t work. What else have you got?”

Wisely, he entitled this particular section of his talk “The Path of Patience,” and he then explained:

“Brothers and sisters, we have to stay with it. We don’t acquire eternal life in a sprint—this is a race of endurance. We have to apply and reapply the divine gospel principles. Day after day we need to make them part of our normal life.“

So that’s my question:  How do you do that?  How do you take the long list of great things you want to do and actually PUT them in your daily life?  I recognize the reality that Sis. Beck alluded to in this Saturday’s talk: (paraphrased) “There is not time to do all the things your heart desires to do,” and her counsel to seek the direction of the Spirit to identify your priorities (SUCH great advice!), but even then, I need some tips to transition me from the “decided” stage to the “doing” stage.  Come on wise readers, lay it on me.

p.s.  I’m back from Spring Break now, and hope to drop in on more of your blogs soon, where I’ve been obviously (or serendipitously) absent.  🙂

Etc., Etc., Etc….

Posted in About Blogs, Diapers, Divinity by

Today feels like a day of miscellaneous business.  I’ll try to be efficient as I cover it all.

  • My blog has a new look because I just felt like shaking things up a little bit.  I did it a few days ago and no one’s said anything, so I’m wondering if it was more of a makeunder than a makeover.  Maybe I’ll start from scratch.
  • I picked a winner for the poetry contest.  I know I said I’d pick a few and we’d all vote, but there were only a few entries (which were all fun and wonderful, by the way) and I just picked my favorite.   The winner is Charlotte of Memories for Later.  I loved her “Ode to the Snow Day” and it will soon be honored on my sidebar.  This lovely crown?  It’s ALL YOURS, Charlotte.  Congratulations! 

Snow Day.
Beloved of my childhood.
How I did yearn for thee then!
Praying for thy presence
With lazy days and snow to play.

Age hath unmasked thee,
O’ cruel day thou art!
Disruptor of Routine!
Deliverer of Cabin Fever!
Creator of Summer Makeup Days.

How I should dread thee,
And yet thy place of magic
Still holds sway,
And my heart flutters
At the thought of thee.

  • Just wanted to let you know that I have a guest post up today over at Mormon Women.  It’s called “Obedience Buffet,” wherein I pontificate about my love of restaurants and tendency toward pick-and-choose in other areas of life.  Head on over to check out their site, and ring the comment bell if you feel so inclined.  🙂
  • Miss Wonder Woman gave me a Happiness Award, and asked me to list 10 things that make me happy.  So I did (click here). I’m supposed to tag 10 people, but I’m not feeling very rule-hardy right now, so I hereby bequeath this award to any of my readers who were born in July (because you must be cool).  If you choose to accept it, write your happy list on your blog and leave me a link so I can go read it.  Thanks, Wonder Woman!
  • Okay, (deep breath) last thing.  It’s been a while since I’ve honored some of my favorite posts that I’ve tripped upon in the blogosphere.  So without further ado, the current Post-It award recipients …..  (click here if you’re a winner)

  1. Annie Valentine blogs at Regarding Annie and she feels like a kindred blogger to me in many ways.  (I mean, her blog tagline says: “Sometimes I want to kick my man in the shin and sell my kids on eBay.”  *snort*).  She also writes a column in her local newspaper and I absolutely loved this post/article she wrote.  Made me look at the way I talk about people in a whole new way.
  2. I always love That Girl over at Pensievity, but she wrote two posts recently about marriage (one crash course and one down-to-earth chuckle) that just reeked of right.  She’s a smart cookie, That Girl– all full of priorities, and cuteness, and wit and such.
  3. In this post called “Death Doulas,” Terresa at The Chocolate Chip Waffle weaved a lovely tale of death and hope and wonder.  It’s quite beautiful.
  4. I really loved this sweet, humble testimony, “God is There,” over at Mormon Women, too.
  5. And finally, Momza wrote a guest post at Mormon Mommy Blogs called “Mothers Don’t Have to Be Everything to Everyone,” in which the title itself preaches a lovely sermon, but it was the last line of her post that hit me like a ton of bricks (the Holy- Ghost,-that-is-so-true kind of bricks.)

Whew, that’s it.

And I love my readers, really I do.  This past week you’ve given some great advice, and said some of the sweetest things that really made me feel great.  So thank you.

Technology is not the enemy.

Posted in About Blogs by

I think the computer age gets a bad rap from people who call themselves “old fashioned” or more personal and sentimental.  I just spent about four days without the internet and, let me tell you, it felt like you old fashioned people would feel if you found out that the Pony Express was on vacation.  With no offense meant to the lovely little warm place I call my home, I felt like I was totally disconnected from the “real world.”* I couldn’t buy tickets to the Christmas play.  I couldn’t book our let-praises-shout-forth-Matt-is-finally-graduating-from-law-school-vacation-celebration reservations.  I couldn’t even look up the phone numbers I needed so I could do it all by phone.  Matt told me to put together emergency kits for the car due to our “Blizzard Warning,” but I couldn’t do a 30-second online research project about what items should be included.  And give me a break, it’s not like I’m going to pack up the kids and go to the library and sort through a card catalog to find an article in a magazine from 1987 about car kits.  (So I just resorted to chocolate, latin music CDs and warm socks– I figure if I’m going to freeze to death on the side of the freeway, I might as well be with the things I love.)  (I’m kidding.  I’m more responsible than that.  I got a blanket and flares.  And once I can get out of my driveway again, I’ll buy some chocolate.)

I’m rambling.  Sorry.

Anyway, my point is:  The internet is good.  Very good.  And it’s not even impersonal.  I mean look at you (a person) reading my blog right now.  And when you (again, a person) comment on my blog, it’s a tidbit of personal interaction that most likely would not exist in my otherwise scraping-oatmeal-off-the-table-and-forcing-antibiotics-down-screaming-throats-and-drying-wet-gloves-by-the-fire kind of day.  It brings unanticipated and pleasant human contact into my day.  Some of my friends that live inside this computer are:

  1. people I met and knew once, but not as well as I would have liked to and yet this virtual world has reunited us and built our friendship stronger,
  2. people with whom I’ve emailed and even phone-called for advice or to share a funny thought, and I consider them real friends even though we’ve never even laid eyes on each other,
  3. other people I’ve never met at all, but feel like if we met up at any given moment at the Cheesecake Factory, we could sit there together for hours laughing and talking (and consuming cheesecake unabashedly) as if we’ve known each other for ages, and
  4. really creepy lurker people who pull up my blog daily just like to look at my profile picture longingly (because who doesn’t fantasize about being a stay-at-home mom with three children who give them adventures like this?  Okay, I admit it, there are some unhealthy sides to virtual networking.  If you happen to belong to this category, please don’t let me know because I’d like to continue sleeping well at night.)

And I do like getting a nice, handwritten note in the mail now and then, but I don’t think email is impersonal unless the author writes impersonally. Grant entered the technology age this week and wrote his very first email.

Hi granpa I am haveing so much fun with granma I miss you this is my frst leter on the compooter you are my favrit granpa from Grant

I think it’s among the top 10 cutest things I’ve seen in my life.  And he was overjoyed when the very next day there was a note back from Grandpa.  So I like technology.  A lot.  And I’d cancel my gym membership, dental cleanings, and insurance on my car before I’d cancel my Internet.  Because I’m such a people person, of course.

(*Disclaimer:  with all due respect to this great talk by Elder Bednar, ” Things As They Really Are,” I know that what matters most is not virtual.  What’s real is what’s important, but I do love getting to know the real people behind the virtual friendships I’ve found through blogging.)

Credit where credit’s due (and a giveaway)

Posted in Diapers, Divinity by

My readers are so cool.

A while back, I wrote a post that included a short video clip with me and Grant in it.  Some of my readers said nice things about me, even going so far as to say I was pretty.  Well, yesterday I received a comment on that post by “Fefe” who wrote the following:

“very good but its the most boringest video i have ever seen in my whole life. and i don’t think you are pritty at all your ugly.”

Fefe, your point is well taken, and you may be right; however, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I can’t help but mention that I’m grateful I’m literate, and that I hold the key to the delete button on my blog.

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My husband Matt is one of the greatest guys ever and I truly love him.  (Go read our love story if you don’t believe it.)  He even reads my blog and still loves me.  I’d like to thank him for making our family Christmas card photo shoot so smooth and seamless the other day.  I am a lucky woman.

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Rebecca Irvine (formerly known as “Scripture Mom”) is one sharp woman, and I’ve loved getting to know her a little through blogging.  She wrote a family scripture study guide called Adventures with the Word of God, which I really liked– so many great cut-and-paste ideas for enhancing family scripture time.  Now, her second book has been released and I think you should check it out, especially if you’re interested in having a collection of ready-made materials for Family Home Evening. “Family Home Evening Adventures can help your family learn to love and enjoy the scriptures together. Each monthly theme uses fun seasonal ideas to promote an appreciation of scripture study, teach basic gospel principles, and provide wholesome family activities.”  It provides one complete lesson for each month and a guide of resources for the rest of the month.  If your children are small like mine, and you need shorter lessons, I think her lessons could be broken up into segments and then used for several weeks throughout the month.  Nice.

I really love this quote by James E. Faust about the urgency of taking time for family home evening and gospel study in our homes:

“I wonder if having casual and infrequent family home evening will be enough in the future to fortify our children with sufficient moral strength. In the future, infrequent family scripture study may be inadequate to arm our children with the virtue necessary to withstand the moral decay of the environment in which they will live. Where in the world will the children learn chastity, integrity, honesty, and basic human decency if not at home? These values will, of course, be reinforced at church, but parental teaching is more constant.”

Well, the lovely Rebecca is offering a giveaway of a copy of her book.  Hooray!  Just mention in the comments if you would like to be entered in the giveaway, and a winner will be selected at random on Sunday evening.

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Almost done here; I just wanted to point you to a couple links.

Shelf Reliance makes food storage products.  I’ve never bought any of their food items, but I do own one of their big can-rotation shelf systems, which I really like.  They are a tiny bit pricey, but I noticed on their blog that starting next week, they’re having a huge giveaway every day and actually giving away some of the shelving systems and some other great stuff.  This week, they’re offering half-off specials.  If you’re interested, you can check it out here.

My laurel advisor, Marci, has been such a sweet supporter of my blog. Speaking of food storage, I remember her as the woman who had canned M&Ms because she didn’t want to go without real necessities in a crisis.  Anyway, she emailed me this link that I thought was a great idea for Thanksgiving time.  Xerox is offering free cards/postcards to be sent to troops overseas.  All you have to do is go here: Let’s Say Thanks.  You just select a card, write a note on it from your family, and then Xerox will print them out and send them to a random soldier at no cost.  Easy, and for a wonderful cause.

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Finally, Kim, another beloved reader (who always makes great comments on the GCBC posts) invited me to participate in a meme/award.  It’s 35 questions about me that I have to answer with only one word.  I can’t imagine that anyone can handle reading anything more about me, but if you’re looking for an excuse to procrastinate your household chores just a little bit longer, you can read my answers here.  Thanks, Kim!

Post-Its

Posted in About Blogs by

Let’s spread some bloggy love, shall we?

Post-it Award

Here are some of my favorite posts recently.  I think they deserve your attention, and I think you deserve to read them.

Debbie at Suburb Sanity wrote this hilarious post that gave me a great idea about how to get out of doing laundry.  She is wise and witty, and finds a way to remind us that old-school values still have a place in this crazy, modern world.

Jana at The Meanest Mom has been one of my favorites since I first stuck my toe in blog waters a year ago.  I love her harmless sarcasm and the way she takes the common challenges of motherhood and makes them so darn easy to laugh at.  In this post, she explains the phenomenon of children’s organizational problems with unmatched snark and wit.  You’ll laugh.  I promise.

Melanie at Write Stuff has become one of the people on my “I’d love to meet in real life” list.  Her blog always feels like a conversation you’d have with a friend late at night while you laugh or analyze together and eat too many calories to count.  This post cracked me up because there was like a collective “Wha??” in the comment thread from all her readers, and I learned a few code words for sensitive topics that I never knew existed.  Just a hoot.

Another blogger I’ve loved since the early days of blogdom is Sue at Navel Gazing at Its Finest.  If you don’t read her already, you should start, but don’t drink liquids while you read.  Anyway, she wrote one of the funniest birth stories I’ve ever read.  Check it out.

And finally, I’ve learned how talented my friend Becca is as I’ve followed her blog, The Little Author That Could.  She recently wrote this post that so beautifully captured the depth and breadth of the simple moments of motherhood.  It’s really lovely.

So, congrats ladies.  Note to the winners:

Post-it Award

There are no weird prize rules for this award.  You don’t have to do a viral tag  of 8 people or make a monumental display on your homepage about it (unless you want to).  Here’s all you do:

1.  Accept it.  You can do this in the tearful silence of your own computer desk or by writing an emotional acceptance speech in my comments.

2.  Pay attention in the next week or so to the posts that you read elsewhere and if you find a favorite (or two or three), then pass the award along to honor the blogger who wrote it.  You can either do a post like this where you announce it (and which I will probably continue to do on occasion), or you can email them and let them know or whatever.  You’re smarter than me; do what you want.

And as a random side note, I have an odd hobby where I plan fantasy vacations that I never take.  Seriously, ladies, I know how to find rocking travel deals.  Check this one out for example:  A 10-night Meditteranean cruise for $350.  Please someone take this trip so I don’t feel like I found it in vain.