Well, Parker has officially moved to one nap (at the same time as Ashtyn!) and it's definitely summer and we're loving it! I'm pretty sure my kids would live outside if they could. Of course our routine/schedule has changed with this. I don't think there's a perfect schedule out there, because life is constantly changing and with that, routines follow. This is what our days currently look like.
Ben and I no longer wake up at six. I was reading a book about being a more peaceful parent and it talked about how if you have to wake up to an alarm clock, you're not getting enough sleep. I've heard this before, but it really hit home to me now. Ben and I changed our streak to be a bedtime streak. We're in bed by ten and try to be falling asleep around ten thirty. Then we wake up naturally (this doesn't always work, because ... kids.). We have one streak freeze a week that we can use if we want to stay up later for date night or something. I now usually wake up around six thirty or seven. I still work on my business if I have time and get ready for the day.
The girls wake up between 7:30 and 8:00 (Parker usually closer to 7:30, Ashtyn is usually closer to 8:00). I nurse Parker and then she sits in the high chair and eats her second breakfast while I make eggs and Ashtyn and I clear out the dishwasher. I've also started having Parker watch Signing Time during breakfast most days because I really feel it was beneficial to Ashtyn's early vocabulary growth. It also really helps with Ashtyn clearing out the dishwasher, because then Parker isn't trying to get into it all while Ashtyn is taking forever.
Ashtyn clears out her plates and bowls and all the silverware. It usually takes her close to thirty minutes before she actually starts (she likes to lie on the floor and tell me she doesn't want to do the dishes) but once she starts she finishes in like two minutes. Then she gets to pick out two coins to add to her money and she loves that. That also gives me a chance to work on some math with her (like identifying coins, addition, etc.).
After breakfast, we try to do something fun. Mondays we go to the library for story time and then go grocery shopping. Some other things we do include playing at the park, going to the lake (we got a pass for state parks and go up to Steineker Lake ALL the time; the girls love it), go out in the trees at Ben's parent's house, play in our kiddie pool in the backyard, or play at Melissa's house.
Then we have lunch and I put the girls down for their nap. Ashtyn sometimes sleeps and I might get two to three hours of kid free time. If she doesn't sleep, she has a "quiet time" for an hour. I try to use this time to market my blog and get other things done. If Parker is still asleep when Ashtyn comes down, we sometimes read together on the couch and then she either plays outside in the front or does stuff at the counter (playdoh, paint, markers, puzzles, those sorts of things).
When Parker wakes up, we usually have some time to kill before Ben is done with work, so we have dance parties or check on the mail or go into the backyard or read together.
Ben usually finishes work around five or five thirty. We have dinner. We've been trying to have lighter dinners (salads, soup, smoothies, etc.) earlier and then not eating until breakfast the next day, but having nice big breakfasts and lunches. We have really liked it so far.
After dinner, we do something as a family. We'll go out to the creek, go to the lake, hang out with family, go for a walk, or watch a movie (we've started a Friday movie night and it's so fun so far!). Then we do our normal kids in bed at 8:30 and have Ben and Charly time until we go to sleep.
We're loving the summer so far!
Wednesday, June 28, 2017
Tuesday, June 13, 2017
My Favorite Things about Ben's Business
Today I was talking with a lady at the library about what Ben does and how he works from home. It reminded me of how much I love him working from home and how grateful I am for it. I wanted to share some of my favorite things about his work schedule and flexibility.
I love that he can eat whatever meals he wants with us. If he wants to work through breakfast or lunch so he can finish earlier or because he has a lot to do, he can. I don't have to prepare a meal beforehand, I just take some of whatever the rest of the family is having up to him. Most of the time, though, he eats breakfast, lunch, and dinner with us and I love it. I love that we can all be together for meals so often.
I love that he can come down to talk to me about his business whenever. When he worked at TestOut, I remember emailing back and forth all day (and we still message each other often throughout the day when he's upstairs), but it's so nice to be able to just talk with each other in person when we want to. If he's frustrated with how something's going, he'll come down to vent. If he gets exciting news or finishes a big project, he can come down and share it with me. I love being connected to his life in that way and I love his frequent visits to see us.
I love that he can help with the kids when I need it. This was especially nice right after Parker was born and I had two such little ones. I feel that I need his help less often now that both girls are older, but it's still nice. When I put Parker down for her nap, Ben can watch Ashtyn. If one of them gets hurt or there's a spider that I'm too wimpy to kill or anything happens, Ben's right upstairs.
I love that I can leave while the girls are sleeping. Because Ben's office is right next to their rooms, I can run errands or leave the house if I need to while they're asleep. This was especially useful before Parker went to one nap, because it meant Ashtyn and I could still go wherever we wanted in the morning while Parker was asleep or I could take Parker on a nap during Ashtyn's nap.
I love that his schedule is more flexible. We can do date night in the afternoon during the kids naps if we want. We can go to the lake as soon the kids wake up. We can go on vacation whenever we want. Ben can take as long as he wants for holidays (or not take holidays, like Labor Day) or as long as I need after having a baby. We get to decide his schedule and that has to be my favorite part of his business.
I love that we feel like a team. I don't run his business, but I feel that I contribute to it in ways that I might not be able to if he worked somewhere else. And because he's home, he can help me and be a big part of our family life. I honestly wouldn't trade that for anything in the world.
I love that he can eat whatever meals he wants with us. If he wants to work through breakfast or lunch so he can finish earlier or because he has a lot to do, he can. I don't have to prepare a meal beforehand, I just take some of whatever the rest of the family is having up to him. Most of the time, though, he eats breakfast, lunch, and dinner with us and I love it. I love that we can all be together for meals so often.
I love that he can come down to talk to me about his business whenever. When he worked at TestOut, I remember emailing back and forth all day (and we still message each other often throughout the day when he's upstairs), but it's so nice to be able to just talk with each other in person when we want to. If he's frustrated with how something's going, he'll come down to vent. If he gets exciting news or finishes a big project, he can come down and share it with me. I love being connected to his life in that way and I love his frequent visits to see us.
I love that he can help with the kids when I need it. This was especially nice right after Parker was born and I had two such little ones. I feel that I need his help less often now that both girls are older, but it's still nice. When I put Parker down for her nap, Ben can watch Ashtyn. If one of them gets hurt or there's a spider that I'm too wimpy to kill or anything happens, Ben's right upstairs.
I love that I can leave while the girls are sleeping. Because Ben's office is right next to their rooms, I can run errands or leave the house if I need to while they're asleep. This was especially useful before Parker went to one nap, because it meant Ashtyn and I could still go wherever we wanted in the morning while Parker was asleep or I could take Parker on a nap during Ashtyn's nap.
I love that his schedule is more flexible. We can do date night in the afternoon during the kids naps if we want. We can go to the lake as soon the kids wake up. We can go on vacation whenever we want. Ben can take as long as he wants for holidays (or not take holidays, like Labor Day) or as long as I need after having a baby. We get to decide his schedule and that has to be my favorite part of his business.
I love that we feel like a team. I don't run his business, but I feel that I contribute to it in ways that I might not be able to if he worked somewhere else. And because he's home, he can help me and be a big part of our family life. I honestly wouldn't trade that for anything in the world.
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
May 2017 - Books I've Read
Intended for Pleasure - Ed Wheat, MD and Gaye Wheat
This is a book on intimacy within marriage. I thought it was well written. It was informative but not in any way vulgar and looked at things from a Christian/biblical perspective. I could tell reading through it that it was a general Christian rather than specifically LDS book, but it was still a good read (if you're looking for a purely LDS read, And They Were Not Ashamed by Laura M. Brotherson is a very, very good read. She also has another book, Knowing Her Intimately, that I haven't read yet since I just found out about it, and is also working on a book about knowing men intimately, as well as some online videos).
One theme throughout the book is that God has told us that men and women have a right to be sexually satisfied. We do not need to feel ashamed about sex or that it is a forbidden or bad subject/action within marriage. It is sacred, but it is ordained for marriage and God wants you and your spouse to enjoy it together.
Another theme throughout was the idea that you should be giving. The woman should be conscious of her husband's sexual needs and vise versa. "An honest desire for the happiness of our partner will bring a surprising degree of happiness into our own lives." It reminds me of the famous quote by Gordon B. Hinkley.
On the flip side of that, it's also important to communicate your needs and desires with your spouse. They shouldn't have to guess what you're thinking and feeling in order to please you and you should never be holding in resentment because you haven't spoken up about something, especially in the bedroom. The more open your communication, the better your intimacy will be. When your partner comes to you with anything, it's important to approach with an open and understanding attitude. Almost any conflict in marriage can be resolved if both parties come to the table with a sincere desire to understand their partner's feelings and thoughts.
It's also important to remember that touch and time outside of the bedroom is so important for a healthy marriage. For Ben and I, in our stage of life, this is something that can be difficult. We get tired and busy and sometimes we put each other on the back burner. It's something we're always working to do better with.
In one part of the book, Gaye suggested that women measure their physical love for their husbands by using 1 Corinthians 13. I love that idea.
This is a book I would definitely recommend, especially to engaged or newly married couples.
Business Boutique by Christie Wright
I loved this book! Christie Wright is a Dave Ramsey personality who focuses on entrepreneurial women, mostly who are starting businesses from home. Some of it didn't apply to me because of the type of business I am doing, but I loved the information in the book, thought she did a great job with the organization, and came away from it fired up to work on my business again.
One thing she touched on was the idea of fear in business. She talks about how everyone is scared in business and that even old hats have things they get nervous about. The ones who succeed just work through the fear. There's no reason to think that because you're nervous, you're on the wrong track. In fact, fear is good, because it means you're actually doing something and pushing yourself.
She also talked about how you don't have to be an expert or have a perfect set up to start. Just start and as your business grows, you'll grow with it! I loved that because I feel like I am not at all ready to start something. One idea she has for pushing past this is talking to yourself instead of listening to yourself. When you have thoughts about not being good enough or not feeling ready, push those away and instead tell yourself that you're ready. When you talk to yourself, you can tell yourself whatever you want.
Once you've pushed past the hardness of starting, you have to actually get to work or your business will never succeed. But also remember that there are different stages of life and you get to choose how much time you're going to devote to your business and how big you want your business to grow. This is really important for me to remember, since my free time is so limited with such small kids to look after. I also know that I want my blog to reach as many people as possible, but I don't ever want my business to grow so big that I hire employees or spend more than ten to twenty hours a week on it.
There was a lot in her book, but the last idea I wanted to touch on was focus. It's really easy in a business to get side tracked and want to go in a million different directions or start a million different businesses. I have felt that already. There are so many other things I want to write about or share on, but I need to stay focused. Those businesses that succeed do so because they have focused on their passion and their audience. They aren't trying to do a million things at once. They've chosen a direction and stuck with it.
I would definitely recommend this book to any entrepreneur and especially to any woman who wants to get into or start a business. I will probably be rereading at least sections of this book.
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
I really liked the idea behind this book, but I didn't think the execution of it was very well done. Ben and I read it together and both felt the same way.
I don't know if I can quite put my finger on why I didn't like it. It wasn't exactly what I was expecting. It was a little boring. The experiences from the concentration camp that he shared somehow seemed impersonal, detached in a way that made it not as compelling. The psychological side of it had some interesting parts, but at times, it seemed he was reaching to prove his new theory. This might be the kind of book that would be better to go online and find someone's synopsis of it.
The main idea is that rather than searching for happiness, man should be searching for meaning. If someone can find a meaning for their suffering, they can endure just about anything. If they lose sight of the meaning of it, they will give up. "In some way, suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning, such as the meaning of a sacrifice."
One quote from the book: "If there is a meaning in life at all, then there must be a meaning in suffering. Suffering is an ineradicable part of life, even as fate and death. Without suffering and death human life cannot be complete."
Another quote: "From all this we may learn that there are two races of men in the world, but only these two--the "race" of the decent man and the "race" of the indecent man. Both are found everywhere; they penetrate into all groups of society. No group consists entirely of decent or indecent people."
And another: "No one has the right to do wrong, not even if wrong has been done to them."
He talks also about the freedom we have that cannot be taken away: that of our attitude in suffering. "It is not freedom from conditions, but it is freedom to take a stand toward the conditions."
The Legacy Journey by Dave Ramsey
This was reread for me, but I thoroughly enjoyed the book (both times). In contrast to his other books, which are more focused on how to get out of debt and the importance of using a common sense, debt free approach to finances, this book focuses more on baby step seven and building wealth.
In the book, Dave Ramsey talks a lot about how it's okay, once you have wealth, to enjoy some of it. Our society looks down on the wealthy and wealth in general, but it's actually a good thing to enjoy the hard work and sacrifice it took to get to where you are. The key is to have a balance between spending, giving, and investing.
They way he recommends you set up your budget, to ensure balance, is through percentages. So once you are out of debt, investing for retirement, have your kids college funds begun, and your house paid off (so no payments or debt of any kind and your future on track to be taken care of), you and your spouse prayerfully decide on an amount your family can comfortably live on. I'll use Ben and I as an example, pretending we're in that position right now. We have a gross income of $110,000. We would both be very comfortable living on $60,000. That leaves $50,000. To keep everything, balanced, you take the leftover (so for us, the $50,000) and apply percentages to it. We set aside about 35% for taxes right off the bat and 10% to tithing. Then we'd choose a percent for investing (maybe something like 35%), giving on top of the tithe (for example, 15%), and then the remaining 5% would be earmarked for lifestyle (things like traveling or anything we wanted to buy for fun that was on top of the amount we had set aside for living off of). These numbers are all just examples. The percentages don't matter, as long as you and your spouse both feel good about it and feel that you are managing it how God wants. Using percentages means that no matter how much or little you make, this method would work and it also means that as your income increases (as most incomes increase over a lifespan), your spending, giving, and saving remain balanced.
I love this book, but I love everything by Dave Ramsey. If you are headed toward the wealth-building part of your life, I would definitely recommend this book (if you want to be but aren't quite there yet, I definitely recommend his book The Total Money Makeover or his FPU course).
Friday, May 26, 2017
A Needed Reminder
I wanted to share an experience I had yesterday.
Yesterday was a hard day. If I'm honest, pretty much everyday lately has been hard. I have a one-year-old and a two-year-old. Ashtyn is a test boundaries all day long and then throw major tantrums when the boundaries are enforced. This tests my patience and I have to admit that I do not always keep my temper in check. I often yell and get upset when I want to stay calm. This is something we're working on, on both Ashtyn's and my side. Then there's Parker, who is in a stage of getting into everything and puts everything in her mouth. It feels like I have to be ever vigilant watching her and am constantly chasing her around. She's also in a clingy stage, where she cries at least five times every time I set her down to do anything, like get dressed or make dinner. On top of that, for the past little while, their nap schedules have been flip flopping each other as Parker works her way to one nap. Parker takes a morning nap and wakes up just in time for Ashtyn's nap, who wakes up before I put Parker down for her afternoon catnap. Which means the only kid free time I have is waking up at six in the morning or after we put them down for bed before I go to bed.
I love being a mom and there are plenty of moments that remind me of how grateful I am to be a mother, but that doesn't diminish the hard parts of life right now.
Well, yesterday I was attempting to make dinner. Parker was crying at my feet and Ashtyn was throwing a fit because she wanted to play outside. I had music playing on Pandora, but I changed it to Hilary Weeks station because I felt that we needed a little more peace in the house.
This song (ignore the video, just listen to the song) came on. It was exactly what I needed. Before the song, I was feeling like a failure as a mother. I was thinking of the times I yelled or got impatient. As this song played, though, the Spirit entered my heart so quickly and powerfully. And as it did, I was reminded of all the things I had that day that was building and teaching and nourishing my children.
The time we'd spent reading the Book of Mormon and learning a story from it.
The songs we'd sung together.
The time we'd spent playing in the dirt together.
The moments I'd had with Parker as we took turns giving her doll kisses.
Rocking in the chair with Ashtyn before her nap singing "I am a child of God."
Teaching Ashtyn with magnetic letters on the cookie sheet.
The good moments are there and I know that I do my best as a mother. Sometimes, it really feels like I fall short. It's easy to get lost in the mundane of motherhood. It's important, even when I mess up and am not perfect, to remember that I did a lot of good too.
It reminds me of this video. It's basically my favorite thing right now. It's such a good reminder that where we see ordinary and work and mundane, the kids see time spent with us, magic, and beautiful moments. We would do well to see parenthood through our children's eyes.
So I want to thank my Heavenly Father for sending me a reminder when I most needed it that I am doing a good job as a mother. I still want to be better and will work to be more patient with my children, but as I am, I need to know, I am not failing. My children feel loved, are learning about their Heavenly Father, and are growing and learning daily.
And that, that's the most important thing.
Yesterday was a hard day. If I'm honest, pretty much everyday lately has been hard. I have a one-year-old and a two-year-old. Ashtyn is a test boundaries all day long and then throw major tantrums when the boundaries are enforced. This tests my patience and I have to admit that I do not always keep my temper in check. I often yell and get upset when I want to stay calm. This is something we're working on, on both Ashtyn's and my side. Then there's Parker, who is in a stage of getting into everything and puts everything in her mouth. It feels like I have to be ever vigilant watching her and am constantly chasing her around. She's also in a clingy stage, where she cries at least five times every time I set her down to do anything, like get dressed or make dinner. On top of that, for the past little while, their nap schedules have been flip flopping each other as Parker works her way to one nap. Parker takes a morning nap and wakes up just in time for Ashtyn's nap, who wakes up before I put Parker down for her afternoon catnap. Which means the only kid free time I have is waking up at six in the morning or after we put them down for bed before I go to bed.
I love being a mom and there are plenty of moments that remind me of how grateful I am to be a mother, but that doesn't diminish the hard parts of life right now.
Well, yesterday I was attempting to make dinner. Parker was crying at my feet and Ashtyn was throwing a fit because she wanted to play outside. I had music playing on Pandora, but I changed it to Hilary Weeks station because I felt that we needed a little more peace in the house.
This song (ignore the video, just listen to the song) came on. It was exactly what I needed. Before the song, I was feeling like a failure as a mother. I was thinking of the times I yelled or got impatient. As this song played, though, the Spirit entered my heart so quickly and powerfully. And as it did, I was reminded of all the things I had that day that was building and teaching and nourishing my children.
The time we'd spent reading the Book of Mormon and learning a story from it.
The songs we'd sung together.
The time we'd spent playing in the dirt together.
The moments I'd had with Parker as we took turns giving her doll kisses.
Rocking in the chair with Ashtyn before her nap singing "I am a child of God."
Teaching Ashtyn with magnetic letters on the cookie sheet.
The good moments are there and I know that I do my best as a mother. Sometimes, it really feels like I fall short. It's easy to get lost in the mundane of motherhood. It's important, even when I mess up and am not perfect, to remember that I did a lot of good too.
It reminds me of this video. It's basically my favorite thing right now. It's such a good reminder that where we see ordinary and work and mundane, the kids see time spent with us, magic, and beautiful moments. We would do well to see parenthood through our children's eyes.
So I want to thank my Heavenly Father for sending me a reminder when I most needed it that I am doing a good job as a mother. I still want to be better and will work to be more patient with my children, but as I am, I need to know, I am not failing. My children feel loved, are learning about their Heavenly Father, and are growing and learning daily.
And that, that's the most important thing.
Wednesday, May 24, 2017
Little Excitements with a Big Move
Small things can make a big difference. I've learned that as I've gone through life. You can be happy anywhere, since happiness is a choice, but comfort is greatly determined by the small things. Right now, we're in our own apartment and we like it. We could stay longer than we are going to and be happy (and fit, as a family), but we are very excited to move up to a house. Here are some of the small things that we're looking forward to, for when we can finally move into our house.
Having our room on the main floor. It will be so much easier to do things like get dressed and do my hair in the morning after I get the girls in the morning. It will also be nice to have our clothes on the same floor as the washing machine.
Parking our car in the garage. For weather and keeping our car cleaner and weather, it'll be so nice.
Having a yard that isn't close to a busy road. Being close to a busy road is stressful with kids and annoying because of the loud trucks and motorcycles. It'll be nice to be in a quiet little neighborhood.
Living down the street from the park. It'll be nice to be able to walk down the street with the girls anytime and go to the park.
A coat closet. I am so excited for this, because we don't currently have one in our apartment and it drives me absolutely crazy (though I will say it's worse when it's actually cold).
My giant pantry. Because what woman wouldn't be excited about that?
Our shower not sharing a wall with one of the girls' rooms. I will say, I don't think the shower usually wakes them up, but it stresses me. I want to shower while they're asleep (because it's basically the only time I can) but then I worry that showering will wake them up. It's not good.
A new stove and oven. My goodness, I hate the range in our apartment. It's been my least favorite thing about living here and since I do use it literally several times a day and cook/bake a lot, it is kind of a big deal. I'm really excited for our convect gas range in our new house!
Having blinds on all the windows and blinds that actually fit in the windows. The blinds in our apartment are not fitted to the windows, so you can actually see through the edges and we have to be careful where we stand when getting dressed. Also, our kitchen window doesn't have anything covering it, which is super annoying. The sun comes in during the day (sometimes hitting at the most inconvenient places) and we can be seen by all the cars driving by at night.
There are so many little things that will be nice. Plus, just the fact that it will be ours. Our own home. That will make a big difference too. We can't wait!
Having our room on the main floor. It will be so much easier to do things like get dressed and do my hair in the morning after I get the girls in the morning. It will also be nice to have our clothes on the same floor as the washing machine.
Parking our car in the garage. For weather and keeping our car cleaner and weather, it'll be so nice.
Having a yard that isn't close to a busy road. Being close to a busy road is stressful with kids and annoying because of the loud trucks and motorcycles. It'll be nice to be in a quiet little neighborhood.
Living down the street from the park. It'll be nice to be able to walk down the street with the girls anytime and go to the park.
A coat closet. I am so excited for this, because we don't currently have one in our apartment and it drives me absolutely crazy (though I will say it's worse when it's actually cold).
My giant pantry. Because what woman wouldn't be excited about that?
Our shower not sharing a wall with one of the girls' rooms. I will say, I don't think the shower usually wakes them up, but it stresses me. I want to shower while they're asleep (because it's basically the only time I can) but then I worry that showering will wake them up. It's not good.
A new stove and oven. My goodness, I hate the range in our apartment. It's been my least favorite thing about living here and since I do use it literally several times a day and cook/bake a lot, it is kind of a big deal. I'm really excited for our convect gas range in our new house!
Having blinds on all the windows and blinds that actually fit in the windows. The blinds in our apartment are not fitted to the windows, so you can actually see through the edges and we have to be careful where we stand when getting dressed. Also, our kitchen window doesn't have anything covering it, which is super annoying. The sun comes in during the day (sometimes hitting at the most inconvenient places) and we can be seen by all the cars driving by at night.
There are so many little things that will be nice. Plus, just the fact that it will be ours. Our own home. That will make a big difference too. We can't wait!
Sunday, April 30, 2017
April 2017 - Books I've Read
Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems by Richard Ferber
This is actually the third time I've read this book. It's probably my favorite on baby sleep, because it's so thorough and explains not only how to get your child to sleep the way you want, but also the science behind the sleep. I think this book and Babywise go really well together.
The first time I read it, Ashtyn was not even three months old and I thought I was going to die of sleep deprivation. This book really helped (along with Babywise). By three months, Ashtyn was taking great naps and sleeping eight hours at a time most nights. She was sleeping from 8:30 pm to 7:30/8:00 am by eight months. The second time I read it was when Parker was born. We did the same sleep methods, but from an earlier age. Parker was sleeping through the night (8;30 to 7:30) at six months and her naps really consistently evened out by seven months. Now, I'm using it with transitioning Ashtyn to sleeping in a bed.
One thing I noticed from the book is that most children have sleep problems around the time they are getting out of the newborn stage and should be sleeping better but aren't (around 4 to 6 months) or when they start sleeping in a crib instead of a bed (when their physical boundaries are removed). That's held true with our children.
What I learned from this book in regards to Ashtyn is that it's probably time for her to drop her nap. She gets a lot of sleep at night, still has a quiet time in the afternoon, and makes it through to bedtime alright most days and doesn't take spontaneous naps on her own (even in places like the car). So she officially has moved to a quiet time instead of a nap in the afternoons.
Clutterfree with Kids by Joshua Becker
I have to say, I loved this book! It was another cleaning book, but I loved it's focus on minimalism as a lifestyle. You don't just get rid of stuff and then organize what's left, but you get rid of everything you don't need, set up habits to keep the clutter out of your life (including habits of continuing to get rid of stuff as life continues), stop buying so much stuff, and declutter other areas of your life (like your family's schedule). It's so much about your stuff as it is your outlook on life and what's really important in life (hint: stuff really isn't very important in life). The author really focused on the blessings of living with less, which I really loved.
One idea I loved is parenting over possessions. Put your children first, over financial and commercial gain. And one quote (that goes along really well with Dave Ramsey's teachings) is "You are never too young to start thinking about your legacy."
A funny thing was Project 333. This project was an experiment where you only wear 33 different items clothing for three months. It includes clothing, jewelry, outerwear, and shoes, but does not include pajamas, wedding ring, underwear, lounge-wear (??), and workout clothing. It's just funny because both Ben and I have less than 33 clothing items that we wear all the time.
Another quote from the book was, "Remember, generosity always leads to contentment with far greater efficiency than contentment leads to generosity."
Another thing he talked about was trying to have less of a consumer attitude in life. One way we do that is by cutting back on how much we are advertised to. One way to do this is through watching less TV. For me, something I've been trying to do is scroll through Facebook less. I had given myself ten minutes in the morning and ten minutes at night. After reading this, I've eliminated one of those and give myself only ten minutes to get on Facebook. I love it. Not only does it give me more time to focus on the things that really matter, but it also helps me feel more content with my life (by eliminating the ads I see on Facebook and cutting down on the time I spend comparing my life to others').
"We need to remind ourselves over and over again happiness is not an item to be purchased, it is a decision to be enjoyed." That was another really great quote from the book.
Another quote: "Parenting is 100% parents trying to shape lives and 100% children choosing their own life." In regards to parenting, another idea he talks about is how we cannot eliminate envy from our children. No matter how much we have, someone will always appear to have more. Rather, we should teach them how to feel contentment and how to fight feelings of envy.
You hear a lot about entitlement and how to teach your kids to not be entitled. He suggested an idea I hadn't heard before--give them the responsibility of taking care of their own things. As they realize how much work is involved in maintaining the possessions of life, their entitlement level will decrease significantly.
"Wanting less is a better blessing than having more." -Mary Ellen Edmunds
The Art of Game Design by Jesse Schell
I enjoyed this book, despite it being a 530 page textbook. Seriously, it was so long, I've been reading it before bed for months. It did have a lot of useful information in it and even though I'm not a game developer, I did get quite a bit out of it. I found some information applied to creation in general (so applicable to my blog, etc.), some applicable to the board game Benjamin and I are working on for fun together, and some just interesting for my life in general. Here are the key things I got out of it.
To be a game designer, all you need to do is say the words, "I am a game designer." Even when you have doubts, say it to yourself. I think this can apply to all titles. In order to be a game designer (or whatever), you need to have the confidence in yourself first. It also ties in with the consistency principle, which states that you want to act in ways that are consistent with how you view yourself (and with how you think others view you). If you see yourself as a game designer, you will act accordingly (and actually begin developing games).
A big theme throughout the book was the idea that when you create a game, you aren't actually creating a game for someone. You are creating an experience. People only play your game for the experience, not for the game itself. And the game is not the experience, the game enables the experience.
This only touches the surface with what I felt I took from this book. It had a lot of really useful information. The author was a bit quirky and a little long winded at time, but I would recommend this book, if you're into any sort of game design or creation.
Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
I will say I did not like this book. I wouldn't recommend it. First of all, it could have been at least half the length and still contained all the relevant information. The author seemed to go on quite a few tangents, which were for the most part interesting, but only slightly related to his main theme. He also referenced a lot of studies (which were interesting) but then stretched things a bit to make the studies fit his points, rather than drawing his points from the studies. It was a little vague, where you read the book and thought, this is interesting but never really got ideas of what you could do with your own marketing. In fact, a lot of what he talked about was inherent (or at least he claimed) so that if other people could do exactly the same thing, but because they weren't born with that special something, they'd never be able to mimick it exactly.
The book looks at how things go viral (though he never uses that term, we think it was written before that term came to be, he calls them epidemics). He says these things go viral through three basic things: The Law of the Few, the Stickiness Factor, and the Power of Context.
The Law of the Few is the idea that there are connectors in the world. Rather than everyone being connected to everyone else, there are a few people in the world that are connected to everyone else. Connectors Because these people know many other people, they have more power to start epidemics.
The Stickiness Factor is the idea that making small changes can make a message "stick" with people, without even having to touch the message. This could be things like where you position something or adding a small image into your advertisement.
The Power of Context basically says that we are heavily influenced by our surroundings. Often, our surroundings "tip" us to do or not do a certain behavior.
Even though I didn't enjoy the book overall, I was able to pull some useful ideas. I will also say that my brother-in-law read this book before Ben and I and really enjoyed it. If I were to make a recommendation, I would suggest finding a YouTube video that summarized the main events and talked about some of the studies in the book.
The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason
This book was like Dave Ramsey but in scripture language and parables. I did enjoy it and it was interesting to see some of the financial principles that Ben and I believe and strive to live in this context.
One thing that was repeated throughout the book was the idea of paying yourself at least ten percent of your income first. Then you put it to work for you in wise ways (invest in smart investments). Then there are other principles throughout, like that riches follow men of action (you actually have to work and be proactive with your money to accumulate riches),don't put money into things you don't understand or you'll lose your money, get rich quick schemes cause you to lose your money, don't help people by taking their burden on yourself (lending money to family or friends, especially if you can't actually afford it), and where there is determination, there is a way.
It was a short book, but took me a surprisingly long time to read. It was well worth the time.
This is actually the third time I've read this book. It's probably my favorite on baby sleep, because it's so thorough and explains not only how to get your child to sleep the way you want, but also the science behind the sleep. I think this book and Babywise go really well together.
The first time I read it, Ashtyn was not even three months old and I thought I was going to die of sleep deprivation. This book really helped (along with Babywise). By three months, Ashtyn was taking great naps and sleeping eight hours at a time most nights. She was sleeping from 8:30 pm to 7:30/8:00 am by eight months. The second time I read it was when Parker was born. We did the same sleep methods, but from an earlier age. Parker was sleeping through the night (8;30 to 7:30) at six months and her naps really consistently evened out by seven months. Now, I'm using it with transitioning Ashtyn to sleeping in a bed.
One thing I noticed from the book is that most children have sleep problems around the time they are getting out of the newborn stage and should be sleeping better but aren't (around 4 to 6 months) or when they start sleeping in a crib instead of a bed (when their physical boundaries are removed). That's held true with our children.
What I learned from this book in regards to Ashtyn is that it's probably time for her to drop her nap. She gets a lot of sleep at night, still has a quiet time in the afternoon, and makes it through to bedtime alright most days and doesn't take spontaneous naps on her own (even in places like the car). So she officially has moved to a quiet time instead of a nap in the afternoons.
Clutterfree with Kids by Joshua Becker
I have to say, I loved this book! It was another cleaning book, but I loved it's focus on minimalism as a lifestyle. You don't just get rid of stuff and then organize what's left, but you get rid of everything you don't need, set up habits to keep the clutter out of your life (including habits of continuing to get rid of stuff as life continues), stop buying so much stuff, and declutter other areas of your life (like your family's schedule). It's so much about your stuff as it is your outlook on life and what's really important in life (hint: stuff really isn't very important in life). The author really focused on the blessings of living with less, which I really loved.
One idea I loved is parenting over possessions. Put your children first, over financial and commercial gain. And one quote (that goes along really well with Dave Ramsey's teachings) is "You are never too young to start thinking about your legacy."
A funny thing was Project 333. This project was an experiment where you only wear 33 different items clothing for three months. It includes clothing, jewelry, outerwear, and shoes, but does not include pajamas, wedding ring, underwear, lounge-wear (??), and workout clothing. It's just funny because both Ben and I have less than 33 clothing items that we wear all the time.
Another quote from the book was, "Remember, generosity always leads to contentment with far greater efficiency than contentment leads to generosity."
Another thing he talked about was trying to have less of a consumer attitude in life. One way we do that is by cutting back on how much we are advertised to. One way to do this is through watching less TV. For me, something I've been trying to do is scroll through Facebook less. I had given myself ten minutes in the morning and ten minutes at night. After reading this, I've eliminated one of those and give myself only ten minutes to get on Facebook. I love it. Not only does it give me more time to focus on the things that really matter, but it also helps me feel more content with my life (by eliminating the ads I see on Facebook and cutting down on the time I spend comparing my life to others').
"We need to remind ourselves over and over again happiness is not an item to be purchased, it is a decision to be enjoyed." That was another really great quote from the book.
Another quote: "Parenting is 100% parents trying to shape lives and 100% children choosing their own life." In regards to parenting, another idea he talks about is how we cannot eliminate envy from our children. No matter how much we have, someone will always appear to have more. Rather, we should teach them how to feel contentment and how to fight feelings of envy.
You hear a lot about entitlement and how to teach your kids to not be entitled. He suggested an idea I hadn't heard before--give them the responsibility of taking care of their own things. As they realize how much work is involved in maintaining the possessions of life, their entitlement level will decrease significantly.
"Wanting less is a better blessing than having more." -Mary Ellen Edmunds
The Art of Game Design by Jesse Schell
I enjoyed this book, despite it being a 530 page textbook. Seriously, it was so long, I've been reading it before bed for months. It did have a lot of useful information in it and even though I'm not a game developer, I did get quite a bit out of it. I found some information applied to creation in general (so applicable to my blog, etc.), some applicable to the board game Benjamin and I are working on for fun together, and some just interesting for my life in general. Here are the key things I got out of it.
To be a game designer, all you need to do is say the words, "I am a game designer." Even when you have doubts, say it to yourself. I think this can apply to all titles. In order to be a game designer (or whatever), you need to have the confidence in yourself first. It also ties in with the consistency principle, which states that you want to act in ways that are consistent with how you view yourself (and with how you think others view you). If you see yourself as a game designer, you will act accordingly (and actually begin developing games).
A big theme throughout the book was the idea that when you create a game, you aren't actually creating a game for someone. You are creating an experience. People only play your game for the experience, not for the game itself. And the game is not the experience, the game enables the experience.
This only touches the surface with what I felt I took from this book. It had a lot of really useful information. The author was a bit quirky and a little long winded at time, but I would recommend this book, if you're into any sort of game design or creation.
Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
I will say I did not like this book. I wouldn't recommend it. First of all, it could have been at least half the length and still contained all the relevant information. The author seemed to go on quite a few tangents, which were for the most part interesting, but only slightly related to his main theme. He also referenced a lot of studies (which were interesting) but then stretched things a bit to make the studies fit his points, rather than drawing his points from the studies. It was a little vague, where you read the book and thought, this is interesting but never really got ideas of what you could do with your own marketing. In fact, a lot of what he talked about was inherent (or at least he claimed) so that if other people could do exactly the same thing, but because they weren't born with that special something, they'd never be able to mimick it exactly.
The book looks at how things go viral (though he never uses that term, we think it was written before that term came to be, he calls them epidemics). He says these things go viral through three basic things: The Law of the Few, the Stickiness Factor, and the Power of Context.
The Law of the Few is the idea that there are connectors in the world. Rather than everyone being connected to everyone else, there are a few people in the world that are connected to everyone else. Connectors Because these people know many other people, they have more power to start epidemics.
The Stickiness Factor is the idea that making small changes can make a message "stick" with people, without even having to touch the message. This could be things like where you position something or adding a small image into your advertisement.
The Power of Context basically says that we are heavily influenced by our surroundings. Often, our surroundings "tip" us to do or not do a certain behavior.
Even though I didn't enjoy the book overall, I was able to pull some useful ideas. I will also say that my brother-in-law read this book before Ben and I and really enjoyed it. If I were to make a recommendation, I would suggest finding a YouTube video that summarized the main events and talked about some of the studies in the book.
The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason
This book was like Dave Ramsey but in scripture language and parables. I did enjoy it and it was interesting to see some of the financial principles that Ben and I believe and strive to live in this context.
One thing that was repeated throughout the book was the idea of paying yourself at least ten percent of your income first. Then you put it to work for you in wise ways (invest in smart investments). Then there are other principles throughout, like that riches follow men of action (you actually have to work and be proactive with your money to accumulate riches),don't put money into things you don't understand or you'll lose your money, get rich quick schemes cause you to lose your money, don't help people by taking their burden on yourself (lending money to family or friends, especially if you can't actually afford it), and where there is determination, there is a way.
It was a short book, but took me a surprisingly long time to read. It was well worth the time.
Tuesday, April 25, 2017
A Claim on the Errand of Angels
Tonight, we had our ward's Relief Society birthday party. The young men helped in the nursery for mutual, so I just sent the girls there with Ben and relaxed with some of the ladies in our ward. I really, really enjoyed myself.
They had a group of women sing "As Sisters in Zion" and a line really touched. "The errand of angels is given to women and this is a gift that as sisters we claim." I have always loved that line, because I have a very strong testimony that God has given women a spirit of service and giving. I've been the recipient of this in my own life, I've watched the women around me as they've lived this, and I feel the desire within my own heart. I love the Relief Society, because it is an organized and God ordained way of uniting women to do exactly what God has called them to do--help lift those around them.
The lady who gave the talk portion of the evening spoke of the history and importance of the Relief Society. As she ended with her testimony, she said that she knew that God loved us and testified of our importance in the world and in our homes today. This really touched my heart.
Sunday night, my stomach started hurting and I did not feel well all of yesterday. It was hard on our entire family. I wanted to just take the day off and relax, but I couldn't fully do that (because as a mother of young kids, you never really can). My kids wanted me and my attention, our family ate almost nothing all day because I didn't have food around and wasn't up to making any, and even my poor husband felt my absence. It was a hard day, but it was also a reminder to me of the importance of my role as wife and mother.
I know that many in the world today look down on stay-at-home moms. They think we should be adding "more value" to the world. They think we're oppressed or lazy. They think we do nothing all day or that what we do doesn't actually affect the lives of our children in a positive way. They think we are going against feminism and equality and they think that we are wasting our lives.
They misunderstand the most important things in life. The most important things are not careers, money, progress, "equality", or even hard work. The most important things are God, family, and marriage.
The most important things are the moments when your child makes a mistake and you patiently show them why it was a mistake and teach them how to do better in the future.
The most important things are being there for the big moments in your child's life, even if those big moments seem small at the moment.
The most important things are those smiles, laughs, books, and homemade meals you share with your child while they're young so that you can share those same things with them when they're teenagers and adults.
The most important things are the day in and day out moments that build a marriage into something unbreakably strong.
The most important things are literally the hundreds of small moments a day that are really important without anyone realizing in that moment that it's important. And that, that is why mothers are so important. That is why Relief Society and the gospel matter so much. And that is why I'm proud to be a woman.
I know God has called me as an Angel. And that is a gift that I am ready to claim.
They had a group of women sing "As Sisters in Zion" and a line really touched. "The errand of angels is given to women and this is a gift that as sisters we claim." I have always loved that line, because I have a very strong testimony that God has given women a spirit of service and giving. I've been the recipient of this in my own life, I've watched the women around me as they've lived this, and I feel the desire within my own heart. I love the Relief Society, because it is an organized and God ordained way of uniting women to do exactly what God has called them to do--help lift those around them.
The lady who gave the talk portion of the evening spoke of the history and importance of the Relief Society. As she ended with her testimony, she said that she knew that God loved us and testified of our importance in the world and in our homes today. This really touched my heart.
Sunday night, my stomach started hurting and I did not feel well all of yesterday. It was hard on our entire family. I wanted to just take the day off and relax, but I couldn't fully do that (because as a mother of young kids, you never really can). My kids wanted me and my attention, our family ate almost nothing all day because I didn't have food around and wasn't up to making any, and even my poor husband felt my absence. It was a hard day, but it was also a reminder to me of the importance of my role as wife and mother.
I know that many in the world today look down on stay-at-home moms. They think we should be adding "more value" to the world. They think we're oppressed or lazy. They think we do nothing all day or that what we do doesn't actually affect the lives of our children in a positive way. They think we are going against feminism and equality and they think that we are wasting our lives.
They misunderstand the most important things in life. The most important things are not careers, money, progress, "equality", or even hard work. The most important things are God, family, and marriage.
The most important things are the moments when your child makes a mistake and you patiently show them why it was a mistake and teach them how to do better in the future.
The most important things are being there for the big moments in your child's life, even if those big moments seem small at the moment.
The most important things are those smiles, laughs, books, and homemade meals you share with your child while they're young so that you can share those same things with them when they're teenagers and adults.
The most important things are the day in and day out moments that build a marriage into something unbreakably strong.
The most important things are literally the hundreds of small moments a day that are really important without anyone realizing in that moment that it's important. And that, that is why mothers are so important. That is why Relief Society and the gospel matter so much. And that is why I'm proud to be a woman.
I know God has called me as an Angel. And that is a gift that I am ready to claim.
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