My Little Romancer

My cute kindergartner, Caden, is turning out to be quite the little romancer. He is going to make a very sweet and thoughtful husband some day, as proven in the following stories.

• Sometimes while we eat, the boys like to play "I Spy." One time, Caden said, "I spy something lovely that I love." Then he turned to me and revealed, "It's you!"
• After tucking him in bed one night, he told me, "I can see you in my heart." Another time he said, "You make my heart smile."
• Today I asked him who his best friend is. He thought about it for a second and then replied, "My best friend in the whole, entire world is you! I love you in the entire world!"
• One Sunday after church, I decided to nap on the couch while Gabe was asleep and Caden was coloring. Thinking I was already asleep, Caden put a blanket on me, tucked me in, whispered, "Nice and warm," stroked my cheek, and kissed my head. 

Except for the tucking in part, I don't say things like that to him, so this all happens on his own! He is so adorable. I love him so much.

Earlier this month, his school had a mother-son dinner and dance for Valentine's Day. I told Justin this was his chance to teach Caden, although only five, how to prepare for and treat a date. Justin took the boys to the store, where he picked out chocolate for me and Caden picked out flowers. Then Justin got Caden ready. When we were both done, Caden gave me my gifts. 

The dance was at a local Italian restaurant. We shared a table with one of Caden's classmates and his mother. First, we danced a little. Although not very many people came, the ones that did come danced, even the older boys. Then we had a spaghetti dinner, followed by a mother-son slow dance (this did not go as well as I had hoped because Caden wanted to dance goofy or have me hold him the whole time). 

The remaining time the boys chased each other and had a balloon fight. 

We ended with all the mothers dancing the Electric Slide, which made me feel old. Overall, it was a very enjoyable evening, and I loved having the alone time with Caden. I want to take him on another date soon!

"A Princess Story" Book Review

Have you ever wanted to be a princess? Or just to feel like royalty or experience an adventure? There's something about princesses and fairy tales that we're naturally drawn to, whether it's good defeating evil or having a happily ever after.

In the book A Princess Story: The Real-Life Fairy Tale Found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Jaci Wightman explains why we feel this way and how we truly are princesses in a very real fairy tale of our own. She reveals how the plan of salvation fits the story line of a typical fairy tale and who all the main characters are.

Smiles
*It explores deep topics while remaining easy to read.
*It relies heavily on scripture and other authoritative gospel sources.
*It encourages action. The book isn't just informative, but also inviting. The purpose is to get us to see the gospel in a new perspective and understand its direct involvement in our lives. Sister Wightman provides questions to ask ourselves, gives additional references to read and study, and recommends keeping a journal of spiritual discoveries while reading.

Frowns
*None so far. I admit, I haven't finished it yet.

For more information on the book and author, visit this website.

Strawberry Jude HandGrown Stamp Set Review & Giveaway

When I first started my Etsy shop years ago, I met fellow seller Jewel Charsley of Strawberry Jude HandGrown. She made a gorgeous painting inspired by my shop name and designed graphics for my shop for web and print use. She is a very talented artist!

Jewel recently released a cling stamp line in her shop. She decided to fill a need she noticed in stamping designs and came up with these three unique sets so far:

"Joy to the World" (Christmas)

"Don't Forget Church" (church planner)

"Note It: Conference" (LDS general conference)

I received the Conference set to review.

Smiles
*I love the words and symbols she chose to represent the theme.
*The set came with directions, which I appreciated since it was my first time using cling stamps.
*The stamps come out clear, clean off easily, and maintain their stickiness.
*The set is packaged nicely and shipped Priority Mail to ensure it reaches you quickly and safely.
*The stamps are versatile and not limited to their theme.
*Jewel is a pleasure to do custom orders with. She is very accommodating and patient.

Frowns
*None

One of you lucky readers will get to win a stamp set of your choice! This giveaway is open to the U.S. only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Little Victoria Design Jewelry Review

A few months ago, I featured the Etsy shop Little Victoria Design. The seller, Carol, sent me some jewelry as a thank you. I meant to review it shortly thereafter, but it never happened. Well, what she sent me worked great for Halloween, so I wore it a lot last month!

I received the above necklace with a matching bracelet, as well as two wide elastic hair ties/bracelets, one neon orange and the other baby pink. I wore the set with my "Nothing scary 'bout the Holy Ghost" shirt from The Covenant Gear.

Smiles
*Carol is so sweet and generous! You can tell she puts a lot of thought and love into her pieces.
*The style is simple and classic.
*The jewelry is comfortable to wear. I usually avoid bracelets because I have a small wrist, but this one didn't bother me.
*I like that the hair ties double as bracelets. So much cuter than wearing a regular elastic band!

Frowns
*Not a huge fan of bright/neon colors, but there lots of other lovely colors in her shop.

Check out Little Victoria Design for more darling and unique pieces!

"Papa's Book of Mormon Christmas" Book Review

Are you looking for a new addition to your collection of children's or family Christmas books? If you are, then you will love Papa's Book of Mormon Christmas by Emma Rae Parker. It's about a loving grandpa sharing with his little granddaughter his special appreciation for and connection to the Book of Mormon, especially during certain Christmases in his life.

Smiles
*The story is very cute and touching, and the characters are charming.
*The illustrations are colorful and adorable.
*It's an easy read and just the right length for both young and older children.
*It balances the secular and spiritual sides of Christmas.

Frowns
*When I first read it, I thought it was based on a true story. I was disappointed to find out it was fictional. It's still a beautiful story, though, that brings the Spirit and focuses on the amazing gift the Book of Mormon is to us.

I recommend making this book a part of your holiday traditions! (Note: I didn't read the story yet to my kids, ages 5 and 2, because I want to save it for Christmas, but I know they'll love it.)

"From Baptist Preacher to Mormon Teacher" Book Review

If you don't know me, I love to hear people's stories: where they came from, how they met their significant others, what their talents and hobbies are and where they learned them, etc. As a Mormon, one of my favorite stories to listen to is people's conversion stories: where they first heard the gospel, what touched their spirits and made them want to learn more, what was difficult for them to accept, etc. Therefore, I was excited to review From Baptist Preacher to Mormon Teacher by Wain Myers (with Kelly Martinez). Brother Myers candidly and humorously shares his journey to becoming a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and progressing in the gospel.

Smiles
*Brother Myers is honest and real. You can feel his personality through the book so it seems that if you met him, you wouldn't consider him a stranger but a friend.
*The book is very engaging and easy to read. Sometimes it read like a novel and sometimes like a compelling church talk (which he says he practices all the time, so maybe that's why it showed in his writing, too!).
*I learned some things about the Church and gospel that I didn't know before. I won't tell you what they were, though--you have to read the book yourself!

Frowns
*The last quarter felt a little disjointed to me, bouncing from topic to topic and reading more like a sermon than a story line (I guess his preaching days haven't fully left him, lol). I would've liked it organized differently.

If you enjoy a fresh and funny story about a real person and their spiritual journey, I recommend you read this book!

For Keshia: My Latest Articles

Keshia, you asked that I share the articles I write, so here are the ones that have been published since my original blog post. I am now a regular contributor to these three sites: Skirt Collective, a liberal feminist site (though that one unfortunately has stopped paying); Well Cultured, a men's online magazine; and Baby Gaga, a pregnancy and baby site. Enjoy reading them and thank you for caring!

5 Myths About Female Modesty (this one got a TON of exposure!)

How Not to Teach Modesty to Young Women (my LDS version of the previous article)

How Lammily and Others Are Breaking the Period Taboo

When You Should Act Like a Gentleman

Belts: The One Accessory Every Guy Should Have and How to Wear It

Words You Don't Want to Get Wrong at Work

Messenger Bag or Briefcase?

7 Bodily Fluids You Deal With During Pregnancy