October Book Review

My husband got this book for me for my birthday. He gets props because I only mentioned it to him once or twice, months before. I was pretty excited when I opened it up, despite it coming a little banged up. It is a really cute book! It is very readable--with larger fonts, big pictures and adorable graphics. You can buy it here. 

I thought this book was going to be all about modesty. But it's not! It's a how-to-navigate-life guide with a twist. The authors, Jessica Rey and Leah Darrow, talk about important things like confidence, and how our sense of beauty and self worth is being destroyed through media and products and companies, how to navigate the dating world correctly, how we should treat others, and not only how to dress a little more modestly, but also why we should dress more modestly. They call it like it is, but do a really good job avoiding being offensive. 

As I was reading, there were so many times I wanted to shout out, "YES!" and "I agree!!" My husband probably heard most of the book, as I read the parts I liked (and there were a lot of those) out loud to him. I can't decide what I want to share with you, there is just so much goodness in this, not so little, book. Hmm... 

Ok, favorite tidbit #1: Perfection and beauty are not the same. And perfection, is impossible to obtain. If we are comparing ourselves to models, ads and commercials we will always lose. We don't have a real life photo shop option in our makeup bag! They talk about this video in there book. Take a look.

Favorite tidbit #2: Girls and boys are different. But, we are valued as people, equally. I am a strong believer that girls and women don't need to be identical or be treated identically or do the exact same things as men and boys. Yes, treat us equally. But do not take away my right to be a woman, or to be feminine. Do not consider me small minded because I enjoy being a woman in the name of equality. We were created beautifully and with purpose- two things the world likes us to forget but things this book reminds us of. 

Favorite tidbit #3: "sexy = objects = things"

This was a lesson I learned the hard way. When I was younger I wanted to be like the girls I saw on TV. They had lots of friends, everything always went their way and they weren't just pretty, they were sexy. Sadly, I had to learn the hard way that sexy is not always a good thing. I realized, as I dressed in a way that I thought was sexy, I not only felt uncomfortable in what I was wearing or in the way I was behaving, but I also was very uncomfortable with the attention I was receiving. At first, getting attention was great. Finally, people and especially guys were noticing me. Then, I realized they weren't noticing me, they were noticing my barely covered butt or boobs. Great. I had literally become an object of attention.

So, needless to say I'm a fan. It's a feel good kind of book. And, it is actually on sale right now! But, if you don't want the book, and still want a few feel good feelings, here are a few quotes you can download for free, print out, and hang up on your wall to remind you how wonderful you really are. 

    

When you click the image you want to download, it will bring you to a Google Drive page where you can download the image. It's completely safe, allows for the best quality download, and you don't need to have a Google account to access it.  I figured this was better than the good ol' right-click-save option.

I would suggest printing them through Shutterfly. They have a 4x4 print option, which is what these are graphics were designed for.  Then, go to Michael and get yourself some baker's twine and cute mini clothes pins and you've got yourself a new, and fairly inexpensive, decoration for your room. Enjoy!

An Outfit with a Side of Inspiration

This vest is amazing. I realize I say that about a lot of my clothing. I just get excited about clothes. And, if I didn't think every piece in my closet was amazing then, I probably shouldn't have bought it right? But, back to the vest. Does it remind you of a very popular and very expensive vest? That's 'cus it's a knock off from Wish. Wish is a pretty cool site. You can buy cheap stuff, for ridiculously low prices that, generally, are pretty good quality. I've only had one item come that was junk and the company refunded me immediately. I highly suggest them. Maybe I will do a post about all my great finds from Wish.

Are you ready for a story? Once upon a time there was a girl (me) who fell in love with a herringbone vest she found on Pinterest. She searched far and wide for the vest and eventually discovered that it was from J. Crew. But, alas, by the time she found this out, she could no longer order the vest from said store. So, she looked else where and found what she thought was the same vest from J. Crew Factory. It turned out that it was completely different. Reports of it being cheaply made circulated, and upon further investigation the girl realized that the herringbone pattern was printed on a nylon fabric.  That wasn't ok. So, with a heavy heart the girl continued her search, checking on e-bay and other places where jackets could be sold second hand. There was a lot of dishonesty going on with second hand sellers ( a lot of people try to pass of factory clothing as the real thing) and with a bit of skepticism the girl finally ordered a vest from e-bay. She waited and waited for it's arrival, and upon reviving it was disappointed to find that she had ordered a piece of junk. Months passed, and after many pleasant experiences with Wish, decided to order one from the site. It finally came the other day, and the girl could not be happier with it. the herringbone is stitched and textured, the zipper works and does not pucker, it doesn't smell, and it is really well stuffed. 

And so, the vest and the girl lived happily ever after. Just in time for Fall. 

The End. 

similar shirt here - vest here - jeans here - shoes here

I'm not perfect. Here's proof. 

It was windy. Really, really windy. 

And now for some promised inspiration. I wish there was a magic potion we could all take that would help us each realize our true potential. But, I guess for now, you are just stuck with my little reminders. Don't ever forget how much worth you have! You have unlimited potential to be greater than you could ever imagine.

Daughters in My Kingdom

So from here on out, Sunday will be my day to share a talk I love and some thoughts about it. There are SO many hidden gems out there that we somehow forget or they just get lost in the mix of all the other amazing talks that are given. On my mission, I would set aside time to study for our friends and those we met with, who were interested in learning about the gospel, and a time for me to study for myself and fill my spiritual reservoir. A quick note to future missionaries: studying for yourself is NOT selfish. Regardless of what the culture of your future mission may be, studying for yourself, whether it is reading something you are interested in, or studying a principle or topic you want to understand more deeply, is essential to your spiritual survival while on a mission. 

Ok, back to the talk... I discovered this little gold nugget a week or two ago. "Daughters in my Kingdom: The History and Work of Relief Society," from General Conference back in October of 2010, was given by Julie B. Beck. You can read it here. It's really good, even though the title is a little daunting. You won't regret reading it. I promise. 

Sister Beck throws down in this talk! She warns us against becoming "silly women," as they are spoken of in the scriptures, and to beware of new forms of idolatry. When we stop doing the essentials, that is, when we get caught up in the world and mistake myths and the world's lies for truth. She reminds us that we are loved, that Heavenly Father knows each of us, and that He has a specific mission for every one of His daughters here on Earth. It's funny, this talk was given 6 years ago, but it is still ever so relevant now. And, I feel as though Sister Beck is calling us to action. Satan wants us to get caught up in the world and its lies. When we start believing that we are not important, or that the Church is placing us as unequal to our male counterparts, we have not become wise, nor have we become "forward thinkers." Chances are, we have lost sight of what is most important, and have either stopped praying, or studying the gospel, or have become lackadaisical in the practice of those essentials.

 I get so excited when ever I think or talk about how each of us has something that God sent us here to do. How special is that?! We are each so important, and have roles to fill, lives to touch, and waves to make.  When I get lazy, and stop studying everyday or my prays get a little insincere ( 'cus let's be honest, it happens to us all) I usually scare myself back into good habits by the thought of missing out on fulfilling my own personal mission. 

Imagine, if we all stopped focusing on the garbage the world had to offer and instead worked on the good, each in our own little spheres of influence, how much good we could really do. Each of us has been blessed with the ability to do that, so we can not fail. How exciting is that??

A Little Hump Day Motivation to get us Through the Rest of the Week