Shabby Apple Giveaway!

Another lovely chance to win a Shabby Apple dress!

It is the Ooh La La Dress and it is gorgeous!
Giveaway hosted here by Le Blog de la Mome!

It's the dress on the left.

So chic, huh?

And I love the red!

I'm crossing my fingers this time,

I really hope I win.

But I'm going to share this giveaway with you all.

Last time I entered a Shabby Apple Giveaway

I was selfish.

I didn't blog about it,

or tell my friends about it.

Because I didn't want to decrease my chances of winning.

Well I entered the giveaway secretively,

and then the next day my dear friend Amy

shared a link with me on facebook for another

Shabby Apple Giveaway.

I felt horrible.

So of course I shared the link with her to

the giveaway I had found.

She commented back and wrote

"Consider me entered."

"P.S sorry for decreasing your chances of winning."

I feel like such a jerk at this point-

that is exactly what I had been thinking.

Well I checked back every hour after the giveaway ended,

and who do you think won??

Sure enough, it was Amy!

That is karma people.

I texted her to give her the happy news,

(Ok, so I was jealous, I really wanted to win)

so it was bittersweet for me.

But I love her to death so I really was happy for her.

Deep down.

Way deep down.

But consider my lesson learned.

I will now share any Shabby Apple dress giveaway I find.

And wait patiently for the day that I finally win!

TRIA Beauty Giveaway

TRIA Beauty Giveaway here.

Win a TRIA Laser Hair Removal System.

It is just what I need.

I shave and two hours later my legs are sharp enough to cut someone.

Anyone else have that problem?

Well now that you all know about my hairy legs,

peace.

Oh and Happy Fourth of July!

Hope you all had a happy patriotic weekend.

And remembered to be grateful for all those who have fought and died for us.

So that we can have FREEDOM.

Here's a few pictures for you to enjoy.

I have many more to post later :-)

          

We love sparklers,

can't you tell?

I woke up so grateful today for so many things. So first I'd like to thank my Father in Heaver, and His Song Jesus Christ, for everything. Because I owe all that I have to Them. 

Other things I'm grateful for (order does not signify importance):

My family.

My cousins.

My friends.

Kelsey moved back to Oregon.

The gospel of Jesus Christ.

My beau. (Old fashion for boyfriend).

Prayer.

God  hears and answers my prayers.

I can change with the help of my Savior Jesus Christ.

The Atonement.

Lucky. (My kitty-an answered prayer-literally sent to me from God- found him at Church).

My vitamins. (without them I'd be in unbearable pain each day).

Sunshine.

Rain. (It makes Oregon so green and beautifu, its's fun to dance in...ok and to kiss in :-) )

Honey. (My horse...Ok and you too Casey haha wink wink--inside joke)

My life.

My passion.

Love.

My clothes and the great deals I find in getting them..

I recently purchased three lovely fun $7 dollar skirts and four $5 adorable shirts.

The beautiful world around us.

Repentance.

The Prophet of the Lord, President Thomas S. Monson.

Lemon Drops.

Chewy Gobstoppers.

Sunflower seeds (they are so addicting and have kept me awake on many a drive).

Lik a stix.

My comfy shoes (they are adorable and made a world of difference in my foot).

I have my own bedroom.

I'm going to the rodeo this Saturday with my best friend in the whole world-Kelsey.

I am giving 20 lessons a week.

My job-can't beat getting paid to be with kids and teach them my favorite thing, horesback riding.

Music.

Alex is serving a mission in Ecuador.

The Book of Mormon. 

Karlas smoked salmon and oysters. Yum.

Trials (strange I know, but after I quite banging my head against the wall, and humble myself,

they help me to become a better person). 

Any blog readers that I have out there. You rock!

The above list doesn't even begin to cover all that I am grateful for.

But I am grateful for all that I have.

And recognize that all my blessings come from God.

Lime Ricki Swimsuit Giveaway

I'm happy to share another giveaway with you!

Two giveaways in one day.

Lucky you!

That is two reasons why you should follow my blog.

Do it.

Follow it now!

Anywho, if you're in the market for a lovely, modest,  adorable, fun swimsuit

(And what girl isn't)

Then you must visit Lime Ricki

I love there swimsuits, they are so bright and hip! 

And, thanks to Thanks, Mail Carrier

you have a chance to win one of their super fun, flirty, and fabulous swimsuits.

Choose from their colorful tankinis and one pieces!

For your chance to win go here. 

Good luck to all you lovely ladies!

(And to myself as well.)

TOMS: A Lovely Giveaway for a Lovely Vision.

TOMS Giveaway here.

ONE FOR ONE. 

Such a lovely, beautiful act of service.

With every pair you purchase

TOMS will give a pair of NEW shoes

to a child in NEED.

ONE FOR ONE.

How Lovely. 

Go check out TOMS.

You will fall in love.

With their mission.

And their shoes.

I promise.

OH DEAR! How do I begin to describe how badly I want a pair. I heart TOMS shoes to death. Not only are they absolutely love and stylish, but the whole idea behind TOMS is one of the most lovely, unselfish ideas. One for one. That seems like no way to run a business and make money...and yet it works. Because charity never faileth.

 "Using the purchasing power of individuals to benefit the greater good is what we're all about. The TOMS One for One business model transforms our customers into benefactors, which allows us to grow a truly sustainable business rather than depending on fundraising for support."

  TOMS vision and humanitarian efforts is so beautiful.

I want these little beauties if I win.

Please let me win!

(Crossing my fingers)

Romancing the Woman You Love

Romancing the Woman You Love

This is all any girl wants, to be romanced and wooed. It doesn't even have to be a grand gesture as shared in the article, but it's the little, corny, sweet and thoughtful things that shows he cares and wants to make you happy that totally sweep us off our feet, and what girl doesn't want to be swept off her feet...ladies, am I right??

Amy Adams does the perfect job of summing it all up in Enchanted. I love this song/scene!

\

Vintage Pearl Giveaway

I am so thrilled by this giveaway. A Lovely Lifestyle is hosting a giveaway for a $50 gift certificate to The Vintage Pearl, where you can customize your very own necklace or bracelet! I adore this jewelery, it is so simple and so beautiful. I entered a giveaway hosted by The Vintage Pearl, but did not win. Alas, I have a second chance. To win this beauty:

I think it will make the perfect remembrance necklace for my dear Carla. I will have her name inscribed on the necklace and wear it always/ Carla will always hold a huge chunk of my heart. I still miss her more than I can put into words. I cry daily because I miss her so much, and because I would give anything in the world to see her one more time, and to find out if she is happy. That is my prayer. That she is happy and loved in her family. I also pray that her family, if not already members, will be visited by the missionaries and will accept the gospel of Jesus Christ in their lives. This has been my prayer for three years. Now some may call this coincidence, but my brother was just called to serve a 2 year mission in Guayaquil, Ecuador for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Ecuador happens to be where my precious little Carla lives. I don't believe in coincidences. Of course I am ecstatic! And I don't believe in coincidence. I have also prayed the last three years that one of my brothers would be called to serve there, so that they could be led to Carla's family, and baptize them. Coincidence? I think not. I know that this is possible. I have the faith. More miraculous things have happened in this life. So I continue to pray for this, and I have been thanking my Heavenly Father for sending my brother there. Who knows, maybe my brother will get there and find that her family is already strong members of the church. That would be wonderful! But I do hope and pray that somehow, at some point, he will cross paths with her. Anyways, I got a little off topic there, but just so you all know, that is what I will do with my necklace if I win! Oh and I also love this little beauty as well, I would just put a C on one heart for Carla. Now I  can't decide which one I want, I think I am actually leaning towards this one though, what better way to remember her than by having her carved on my heart?? Yes, this is definitely the necklace that I want. But the first one is so pretty too!

What will you do?? 

To enter to win: 

Visit A Lovely Lifestyle for details! 

Another Nicole Moment and Kids Say the Darndest Things!

Today will be a day I will always remember. 

Today is the day I learned the correct way to use a staple remover.

I never knew I was using it wrong, but up until today they never really seemed all that useful or handy to me.

Because I was not using the staple remover as it was intended to be used.

At 23 years of age, this is probably a skill I should have acquired by now.

In fact, I had a serious inner debate about the pros and cons of even admitting this to all of you.

My blog readers.

If there are any of you at all.

Ok I know I can at least count on Kelsey and Amy to read this.

And I know that you will get a laugh out of this "Nicole Moment"

So if it will bring a "roll your eyes, oh my gosh Nicole, and a chuckle"

then it would be selfish of me to keep this story to myself.

And if by chance I do have any other readers out there in the cyberspace world,

and you too have been using the staple remover incorrectly,

and wasting precious time,

then I owe it to YOU
to share the correct way to remove a staple using the staple remover.

To use it the way it was intended to be used.

You're probably a tad bit curious now as to how on earth
I have been removing staples with this handy, simple, little device.
I mean, it's not exactly some complex machine.

Any child should be able to figure it out?

Right?

Well, leave it to me to take a simple object and be competely dumbfounded by it,

and then invent a completely ridiculous way to use it
because I'm too embarassed to ask it should be used.

Ok, so here it is.

My little confession.

I have always used the staple remover in this fashion:

1. Turn paper over so that back side of staple is exposed.

2. Use pointy prongs on staple remover to lift up each side of enclosed staple.

3. Set staple remover down.

4. Pull out staple with fingers.

As I type this out I'm having second thoughts about sharing this.

With anyone.

But it's too late now.

The imagery in my head of me prying up the staples edges with the staple remover,

and then setting down the staple remover to pry out the staple with my little fingers,

is TOO funny.

I'm laughing at myself.

So now at this point you're probably wondering how I came to finally learn the correct usage.

I'm filling in as a receptionist today for a person and a business.

I won't name any names.

I was asked by someone in the office to go through quite a few files and unstaple about a million papers that were stapled together at the top,

and then restaple them in the middle left.

I was flabbergasted.
"This is going to take all day" is what I thought.
Mostly because it takes me about a minute to take out a staple, give or take a few seconds.

So I took out some files and began my slow and painful process of staple removing.

Fortunately for me, I came across some papers that I was not quite sure what to do with.

(Little did I know this would set the course that would change my life.

For forever.)

So I took them to said person who assigned me this horrible task

and asked what I should do with the papers.

Then, to my amazement, as she explained what she wanted,

I watched in wonder as she took the staple remover,

placed both prongs around the front side of the staple,

closed down on it,

and grabbed it out in one quick, effortless, two second motion.

I was stunned.

It was so simple.

It is just like me to take something so quick and easy

and make it as complicated and time consuming as possible.

I recovered quickly and returned my eyes to normal size

(I'm pretty sure they looked like huge cartoon bug eyes for a moment)

I then nonchalantly nodded, took the papers, and headed back to my little work area.

With a new piece of information that would make my job so much less daunting.

And so much faster.

And staple finger pricks would be reduced from a gazillion to ZERO!

YES! WOOHOO!

This is up there with some of the most life changing, happiest moments of my life.

Seriously.

The End.

On another note,

remember how I said I'm a college graduate

living at home

and sharing a bedroom with 4 siblings?

Not anymore.

I moved out.

Of my old bedroom.

My sister Collette moved out, and I got to move in to her room.

I have upgraded from a twin bed to a full.

And I don't have to share a room with anyone.

However, while I now have my "own" room,

I am no where close to having my own bed.

I have had my new room for about two weeks now,

and have only spent a handful of those nights alone.

Sophia and Jacob, with their sweet little smiles and huge innocent eyes,

have perfected the art of coyly asking me to sleep with me in my bed.

It goes something like this:

One of them will run up to me, jump on my bed,

and give me a giant bear hug and a huge kiss.

They then turn those bright eyes to me and say in the sweetest voice they have:

"Can I sleep with you tonight pwweasse?"

And if it's Jacob he will add on, "I want to snuggle fuggle with you."

I hesitate.

I try to say no.

I want to say no.

But the sweet smile doesn't leave their face.

And they snuggle in closer.

 So I hear "Yessssss" come out of my mouth.

And then if it's Sophia she says: "Yes! And giggles and cackles.

And Jacob's smile gets triumphant and he says: "Thank You'm!"

The other night as I was squished in between the two of them,
with Jacob grasping onto my arm on one side,

and Sophia laying on my tummy,

I wondered what I had gotten myself into.

And then I tried to trick them into thinking they wanted to sleep in their own beds.

But they are much too smart for me.

I said:

"Don't you guys want to sleep in your own beds, they're so much better than mine.

You have Lightning McQueen and Princess Beds!

And you won't have to be so squished.

And you two can stay up all night talking but in Coco's bed you have to be quiet and go to sleep.

Wouldn't it be much more fun in your beds??!!"

Sophia then said:

"But I like to sleep with you and lay on your tummy"

Which she knows I'm a total sucker for.
Jacob says:

" I like to sleep with you. It's good to be with family in the bed."

These two.

They know exactly how to butter me up.

I cannot say no to them.

Yesterday I was playing outside with Sophia and Jacob,

enjoying the sun that finally decided to make an appearance,

and they were playing with worms and I was telling them how gross that was.

So of course then they brought them over to me and tried to get me to hold them,

and went on and on about how they loved worms.

Sophia then decided that they worms probably had a family,

and that she should return the worms to their family.

So she put the worms back in the dirt and said:

"Goodbye, I will miss you!" In her loud singsong voice.

And then Jacob said,

"I know, let's bite him to dinner."

I said "ewwww",

and he said "no let's BITE him to dinner."

It was then I realized he meant INVITE.

Nonetheless I'm sure the poor worm didn't realize bite was really invite,

and was happy to finally be put back down, with no bite taken out of him.

I shouldn't have made such a big deal about the worms though
because then they moved on to slugs.

I hate slugs.

I told them that.
I also told them I like to pour salt on slugs because it kills them.

Sophia then got mad at me and said "Nicole!" in a really scolding tone.

She then proceeded to find two slugs and hold them as she cooed to them sweet nothings.

I was finally thoroughly grossed out enough to tell her to put them down
because they are slimy and sticky and they eat mommy's flowers.

That convinced her.

She said fine.

I then told her I was going to pour salt on then because they eat mommy's flowers.

She was mad but said fine.

I got the salt and poured it on, telling her she probably shouldn't watch, but she insisted!

Once they were shrunken and dead she ran inside to wash her hands,

huffing and puffing because I had killed them.

In an attempt to make her feel better I finally said,

"It's ok they're in Heaven now with Heavenly Father and Jesus."

She liked that idea and stopped yelling at me.

As she was inside washing her hands Jacob told me:

"Let's just look for regetty bugs you like."

Translation:

"Let's just look for regular bugs you like."

I told him find a ladybug, caterpillar, or a potato bug.

Those are the only bugs I like.

As I watched him poking around in the dirt he took the huge can of iodized salt

and started pouring it all over.

I quickly told him to stop pouring it all over.

His reply was:

"I got a tiny beetle so he can go to heaven."

Whoops.

Guess you need to be careful what you say around kids.

He then proceeded to pour salt on every bug he saw so they could die and go to heaven.

Not exactly the lesson I was trying to teach,

but as long as he doesn't move on to larger animals I don't see the harm.

In my opionion he's doing the world a favor.
The world is much better off without bugs.

So each insect "sent to heaven" makes Nicole a happy camper.

Last little story.

While Jacob was going around sending bugs to heaven,

I picked up the two dead slugs in a leaf and threw them in the bushes.

Apparently Jacob then put two little sticks in their place in their piles of salt.

At this point Sophia came back outside after scrubbing slug slime off her hands,

proceeded directly to the dead slugs(which she didn't know I'd removed) and their piles of salt,

and then screamed:

"Ooohhh they turned into sticks!"

I couldn't help but laugh and I then explained to her that

I had thrown them in the bushes and Jacob had put sticks in their places.

Anyways, I think the point of all this is that I love Sophia and Jacob, that they are pretty much, hands down, the two most adorable kids in the universe,

they know how to turn up the charm to get their way,

and that kids say the darndest things.

Well, I best be getting back to all those papers waiting to be unstapled.
They won't unstaple themselves.
But as I now know, the staple remover is more than qualified for the job,
and will do the trick!
(But maybe they could include an instruction manual, just a thought.)

Energy Addict? Yes Please!

I'm currenty reading Energy Addict by Jon Gordon and I am feeling so motivated to become that person that we all know, the one who seems to be the energizer bunny and can just go go go, 

all with a  smile on their face, and energy to spare, and share. 

That person that we all secretly hate because they are just so full of life and energy, and well, it's just not fair. 

Well, as of yesterday, I am getting addicted to positive energy.

This book is packed full of 101 physical, mental, and spiritual ways to energize your life.

My favorite suggestion so far?

Getting 8 to 10 hours of sleep. 

Yes, you heard right. 

8 to 10. 

Haven't I always said that?

Now I can justify that through scientific research.

In fact, according to a scientific study, 8 is good, but 10 is better!

" While there are a few people who can consistently get by with only four hours of sleep per night, most of us require at least eight hours of sleep--and nine to ten a night is optimal, according to Cornell Psychology Professor James B. Maas. One third of Americans get less than six hours of sleep a night. Research shows that if you get less than eight hours of sleep, you are operating  in an 'impaired' state; your alertness, productivity, creativity, and general health are all affected. We all know about the risks of driving while impaired...but living in a perpetually impaired state is another matter altogether.

Acorrding to Mass, 'Between the seventh and eighth hour of sleep is when we get almost an hour of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, the time when the mind repairs itself, grows new connections and recharges us. If you only sleep six hours a night, you're missing that last, important opportunity to repair and to prepare for the coming day.' 

This means less energy for your body

and less energy for you."

People, like I've always said, sleep is important for your body.

That's why I love it so much!

I'll share a few other physical energy energy tips, but I highly suggest purchasing the book today,

because he has many mental and spiritual strategies as well!

Take back your life and beome an energy addict!

Physical Energy Addict Tips:

1. Eat breakfast.

2. Eat more earlier.

3. Eat organic, whole foods.

3. Exercise in the morning.

4. Take a short walk after lunch and dinner.

5. Take a nap. 

6. Energize with yoga. 

7. Drink lots of water.

Those are only 7 of 39 physical energy suggestions. 

I'm telling you, if you're constantly feeling sluggish, tired, and like you're running on empty

this book can help you!

I've only read the physical tips so far, but I'm already feeling energized and motivated by having the knowledge and the drive to make a few changes so I can be one of those people that I always complain about, but am secretly jealous of. 

I'm going to be energetic, and powerful

I'm going to be an energy addict. 

The Vintage Pearl: new stuff, old stuff, a giveaway!

Found a great giveaway- they have three necklaces and a bracelet that you can choose from if you win! I love love love them, I am entering myself...just thought I'd share this with anyone out there that actually reads this because hey, what girl doesn't love free jewelry??

The Vintage Pearl: new stuff, old stuff, a giveaway!

Snuggle Time with Cub

How am I supposed to get out of bed in the morning,
and get anything done,

...when I have this adorable little munchkin asking me to

"stay in bed for a long long time and snuggle with him??"

Ok Cub. I'll stay in bed till noon snuggling with you.
How can I say no to that smile?
And those dimples?
And how can I pass up an opportunity to snuggle with you?

I'm sure that won't last much longer. 

One day, all too soon, it won't be cool anymore
to snuggle with your big sister.
So I've got to stock up on snuggle time now while I can!

Billy Joel - Tell Her About It

Words to live by from good ol' Billy. A girl needs to hear it. Don't you agree?

Is Do Allowed In Scrabble?

Saturday's late night scrabble game:
(Time-12:30ish)

Me: Staring at the scrabble board with nothing to do because we're getting near the end. Finally realize I might have a two letter word option. I pick up the paper with the list of acceptable two letter words to verify that my word is on the acceptable two letter word scrabble list. It is. Score. I put down the letter D in front of an O.

Casey: "You checked to make sure you could spell do (as in doo)?"

Me: (Sheepishly) "Uh...oh yeah. Do (doo) is a word huh? I was using it as do (doh) as in 'Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti'....but I wasn't sure if that was allowed in scrabble. But I guess Do (doo) works too. Whatever, it's really late."

Casey: (thinking I'm a total idiot and laughing uncontrollably at me) Yeah it is late for a scrabble game....

Me: I cannot stop laughing for the next few minutes.

....Casey you were just being nice. There is no good excuse for forgetting one of the most basic, common words in the English language. I don't care how late it is a person should never forget the word do. That was a total Nicole Moment. Yes, I have had so many dumb blonde moments that many a person now just refer to it as a Nicole Moment.

Up at 5 AM

Up at 5 AM? Why yes, yes I was. I wish I could say it was because that's just the type of person I am...the type that is early to retire and early to rise. But that is so not me. In fact, it is rare for me to ever be up at 5 in the AM, but if I am, it is more likely than not due to the fact that I have yet to go to bed, as opposed to because I woke up at the butt crack of dawn. Now you're probably thinking I'm some crazy party animal out making all kinds of trouble till 5 in the morning, but nope, my life is not even that exciting. If I am staying awake that early it's most often because I'm caught up in some book I just started reading during the day and now must stay up all night reading because I just have to find out what happens. I have had many sleepless nights, and many "baggy-dark-circles-under-the-eye" kind of days due to a good book. But I've gotten way off subject and started rambling. Back to the reason I was up at five this morning...it was because of my foot. Maybe you already know this about me, maybe you don't, but I have complex regional pain syndrome. You probably have no idea what that is, don't worry, no one does. And I don't feel like explaining it right now, but google it if you're interested. Also, side note to any physical therapists or doctors out there that might just happen to stumble across this--there's a lot of money to be made in this area I'm sure, as researchers are still trying to figure out exactly what causes CPRS, what treatments work best, and how to cure it. (There is currently no cure, it can only be managed.) Find a cure and you will become super wealthy, I will see to it personally! Anyways, the point of the story is this: I had yet another sleepless night due to the burning and aching pain in my foot, and I am so sick of it! My little white pills (a.k.a vicaden) did absolutely nothing to help. My mom rubbed my foot some and it helped, but she can never do it hard enough for very long. She, and Kelsey, are convinced I'm a masochist. And maybe I am. Because the pain level is excruciating when my foot is finally being rubbed the way I want it to be. But I'm telling you, even though it's almost unbearable, it feels way better than the dull, burning ache deep within my foot that never goes away--that is until someone else is rubbing my foot to the point that the pain level is ten times greater. Okay, so I really am sounding like a complete masochist. But in my defense after one of these extremely deep, extremely painful foot rubs my foot begins feeling much better. The pain is so deep inside that the only way to reach it, and get rid of it, is to squeeze and push on it as hard as possible and make it hurt! To desensitize my foot. And on the plus side the deeper the rub, the more all the scar tissue gets broken up. So even though the pain is unbearable, in the long run it's totally worth it and going to help! Alright, excuse my venting, I think I'm good for now. Chronic pain kinda wears on a person every once in awhile, but oh well, that is life, and we all have our own struggles and trials right? I know firsthand than ongoing hardships, illnesses, pains, etc., can be extremely difficult to bear and bring a person down. But I try to remember that I do not have to let anything control me. I can control my own attitude, I do not have to let CPRS control me. Sometimes this is difficult--when the pain becomes too much, when I have lost sleep, or sleep too much to help with the pain, when I have to miss out on activities I once enjoyed, and when I feel like a burden to those that massage my foot for me. But what it really comes down to is that I can sit around and mope because my foot always hurts, and I can let CPRS rule me, or I can decide to be happy and enjoy life anyways. I try to count my blessings if I really start feeling down. I have made up my mind to be a happy person, no matter what situations I am facing in life.

Elder Robert D. Hales gave a beautiful talk about pain entitled "Healing Soul and Body" The following passage is from the talk.

In this mortal life, each of us is going to experience pain in one form or another. Pain may come from an accident or from a painful medical condition. We may feel deep pain from the mourning that appropriately comes with the loss of a loved one or the loss of affection from one we hold dear. Pain may come from feeling lonely or depressed. It often comes as a result of our disobedience to the commandments of God, but it also comes to those who are doing all they can to keep their lives in line with the example of the Savior.

The scriptures teach that “there is … opposition in all things” (2 Ne. 2:11). Just as times of joy and happiness come to each of us, so also comes pain to every mortal. How can we understand those moments in our life when we experience physical or emotional pain?

Elder Orson F. Whitney wrote: “No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God, … and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire”

Read the full talk here!

So anyways, today was one of those discouraging days that I felt was totally wasted because of my foot. I ended up sleeping in until two pm because I was up until 5, and if I don't get enough sleep the pain in my foot is totally aggravated. So my whole day was pretty much wasted, but my foot is feeling much better and I am ready to take on the day tomorrow! Watch out world, here I come!

Here are a few books about complex regional pain syndrome I found on amazon, they look pretty good if anyone is interested in learning more or if you are struggling with learning to cope with it yourself! (Or if you've decided you want to be that person that discovers what's actually going on in the brain and how to cure it!)

So Domestic...NOT

I've become quite the Rachael Ray fan as of late.
I adore her, her show, and her recipes!
Yesterday I was feeling, as my dear friend Peyton terms it, "so domestic"
and I decided to tackle one of Rachael's recipes-
one that I had seen her make on her show a couple of weeks ago.
It seemed simple enough.
It was her Extra Spicy Linguini with Sausage, Chili Peppers, Cherry Tomatoes, and Arugula.
The plan was to cook a yummy and delicious gourmet meal for Casey-
and wow him with my cooking skills of course.
So Casey came over and we took a trip to Market of Choice (currently one of my favorite places in the world by the way) to buy the necessary ingredients.
Because I don't know about you buy I don't just happen to have Arugula lying around. If any place was going to have it though, it would be Market of Choice. And they did.
Casey made himself extremely useful and pushed the cart as I searched the vegetable aisle for Arugula. (Don't you just love that word- it rolls right off the tongue)
Let's see how many times I can use the word Arugula in this post.
We found the Arugula and it was the freshest salad I had ever beheld.
It was still attached to the sod it was grown from.
I am not kidding.
It does not get any fresher than that.
And it was expensive-2.99 for a small bundle.
And the recipe called for 4 bundles.
Casey talked me into getting only three,
and we then got the rest of our vegetable ingredients and fresh garlic.
I'm going to pause the story here though and put in a little side note about Arugula.
I didn't know what Arugula was except that it was a leafy green-I had never even heard of it.
So I just googled Arugula as I was sitting here blogging and Wikipedia has all kinds of useful
information about Arugula in case any of you are interested in trying it out.
(I recommend it-it was delicious!)

And I found one thing I agree with President Obama on:
In an intent to note the disparity between producer and retailer prices Barack Obama caused a stir when he asked “Anybody gone into Whole Foods lately and see what they charge for arugula? I mean, they’re charging a lot of money for this stuff.” at an Adel, Iowa campaign stop.

In a nutshell everything you need to know about Arugula is this-it comes attached to the dirt, it's rich in vitamin C and Potassium, has a peppery flavor, is great mixed in with pasta, has been considered an aphrodisiac since the first century AD, and as President Obama himself stated, is pretty darn expensive.

Anywho, back to the store.
I now have all the ingredients except the linguini and the pork sausage.
And Casey is still pushing the cart.
We find the linguini-organic of course, because that's just the kind of store Market of Choice is.

So now we just need the pork sausage.
Italian pork sausage to be exact.
We stroll over to the meat section and I begin perusing the sausage labels,
not only looking for Italian sausage, but Nitrate free sausage.
Because even though I can't tell you what nitrates are, everyone knows they're extremely bad for you, duh.
Well I find the only nitrate free sausage they have and put it in the cart
-even though it's mini sausages and definitely not Italian.
I ignore the nagging feeling telling me this is not the right pork and that I should just ask the Meat Man behind the counter.
BIG MISTAKE.

After purchasing all the ingredients we headed home to cook our feast.
I started into the recipe feeling extremely confident and thinking I was such a homemaker.
Well I didn't get too far before I was sufficiently humbled.
I had just started cooking the sausages when my mom informed me that:
a) I had bought breakfast sausage
b) they were in casings and needed to be cut apart (and therefore wouldn't crumble as the recipe called for)
c) one of the packages of sausages was maple flavored
d) I should have asked at the meat counter for the right kind of sausage

Thanks Mom. What would I do without you.

But there went my plan to impress Casey with my Rachael Ray recipe.
I'd already butchered it and bought breakfast sausage!
My mom came to the rescue though and we pulled out the maple sausage,
spiced up the remaining sausage with italian seasoning and garlic,
and added in hamburger meat to make up for the lost meat.
Whoops! Guess I should have listened to my gut.

My big blunder aside, the pasta turned out great.
And yes Casey you were a big help.
Thanks for pushing the cart, cutting the arugula off the dirt, chopping the chili peppers, and peeling the garlic! Muchas gracias!
The pasta was beautiful, I should have snapped a photo.
But we had enough to feed a small army.
Did I mention that I doubled Rachael's recipe because it only served four.
Well she has very generous helpings because the recipe doubled fed my family of 9, plus Casey, and there was still enough leftovers to feed us all a second, and perhaps even a third time.
Let's just say I'll be eating the linguine dish all week.

Click here for the recipe if you want to try it, it was incredibly tasty and actually pretty simple. But word to the wise-don't buy breakfast sausage!

Mere Christianity

If anyone knows me at all, they know that I am a total bookworm. I adore books...books of any kind. Fiction/nonfiction, romance/adventure, fantasy/mysteries...etc. You get the picture. My current read is C.S. Lewis'Mere Christianity. I grew up watching the old The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe series, and read the books as well, and I loved Narnia and Prince Caspian. But I have never ready any of C.S. Lewis' other works until now. I've always wanted to, and I have no good excuse for not. He is quoted so often by General Authorities and in church lessons that he is obviously worth reading, right? Right! He absolutely is...whether you are Christian or not, I 100% recommend this book. He provides an unequaled opportunity for believers and nonbelievers alike to hear a powerful and rational case for Christianity. If you have have any desire to learn more about the Christian faith, whether it be for personal, religious, or educational purposes, Mere Christianity is the book for you. I have even made it incredibly easy for you to take the first step toward reading the book, which is of course purchasing it. Below are links to purchase Mere Christianity from Amazon.com in hardback or paperback. I really hope that if you have any interest at all in Christianity and it's doctrine, beliefs, and teachings, that you will purchase the book and read it, you will not regret it!

Next on my list are The Screwtape Letters and The Weight of Glory

One of my favorite C.S Lewis quotes thus far comes from The Weight of Glory.
"It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no "ordinary" people. You have never talked to a mere mortal."

....Humbling, no? And definitely gives a whole new meaning to the Golden Rule. And that to me sums up what Christianity is all about anyways, loving our family, our friends, our neighbors, strangers, and even our enemies. Because that is what Christ did. And what He does even now, because He lives. Christ lives. Christlike love really is the solution to all of the evils and problems of our world.

Anthony Burgess, New York Times Book Review, said "C.S. Lewis is the ideal persuader for the half convinced, for the good man who would like to be a Christian but finds his intellect getting in the way."

Bieber Fever

Apparently even two year old babies have Bieber Fever. This is adorable though!

"Ball Crushers"

So it being Sunday and all I'm going to leave you all hanging on the title for a minute and start off with something a little more churchy. Church was amazing today, and I was definitely touched by our Relief Society Lesson. It was entitled "Turn to the Lord." I could feel the Spirit so strongly as the women discussed the trials, heartaches, and disappointments we face in life, and how often our first reaction is to just throw an emotional tantrum and scream and cry it out...but let's be honest when does that ever really fix anything? (Ok but it does feel great, I won't lie.) How many times do we have to bang our head against a wall before we finally get it, and turn to the Lord? Many inspiring things were said, and I won't go into all the details, but I do want to get this off my chest. I had one of those moments where I knew I had to bear my testimony as one girl was speaking about pain and heartache. One of those moments when you're heart starts pounding as the Spirit whispers to you and you know you have no choice but to raise your hand and speak. But I didn't. I ignored the pounding heart. I didn't say anything. I don't know why I did this, and so now I feel like I need to make it up by writing it here. As said girl was speaking about trials, the Spirit testified to me once again that it is only through completely turning to the Lord that we can feel comforted, and our burdens can be lightened. This trust in the Lord comes from an understanding of the Atonement, understanding that the Lord did not just suffer for my sins, but for the sins of everyone else....for the injustices done to me, and to those around me....for my pain, my sorrow, my heartache. He has felt what I have felt, and Christ, my Savior, has sunk beneath it all, and overcome all, even death. He knows beginning to end, and He knows me personally, my hopes, my fears, my desires, my life. He knows me better than I know myself. This gives Him, and Him alone, the ability to succor me and lead me through my trials, if I would only humble myself and turn to Him. He may not take my trials or my pain away, but He will give me the strength that I need to get through them. And He will take me by the hand and lead me out of them, in His own due time. It is trials that shape us and refine us into more perfect, more Christlike, people. I know that this is true, and I know that Christ can do this for you too, whoever you are, if you but turn to him, and trust him completely.

The Savior said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” -Matthew 11:28


“Commune with the Lord. … He is your best friend! He knows your pain because He has felt it for you already. He is ready to carry that burden. Trust Him enough to place it at His feet and allow Him to carry it for you. Then you can have your anguish replaced with His peace, in the very depths of your soul” -Dallin H. Oaks, "He Heals the Heavy Laden"

"Trying to comprehend the trials and meaning of this life without understanding Heavenly Father’s marvelously encompassing plan of salvation is like trying to understand a three-act play while seeing only the second act. Fortunately, our knowledge of the Savior, Jesus Christ, and His Atonement helps us to endure our trials and to see purpose in suffering and to trust God for what we cannot comprehend.

Revealed truths reassure us that we are enclosed in divine empathy. As Enoch witnessed, we worship a God who wept over needless human misery and wickedness (see Moses 7:28–29, 33, 37). Jesus’ perfect empathy was ensured when, along with His Atonement for our sins, He took upon Himself our sicknesses, sorrows, griefs, and infirmities and came to know these “according to the flesh” (Alma 7:11–12).

He did this in order that He might be filled with perfect, personal mercy and empathy and thereby know how to succor us in our infirmities. He thus fully comprehends human suffering. Truly Christ “descended below all things, in that he comprehended all things” (D&C 88:6)."-Neal A. Maxwell, "Enduring Well"

I testify that Christ loves each and everyone of us, so much that he suffered for our sins, our pains and our afflicitions. He loves us so perfectly that he suffered more than any of us could imagine or bear--he bled from every pore so great was his agony. And he did this out of love and compassion for all humanity-- so that we might be able to repent and be forgiven of our sins, so that we might return to our Father in Heaven.
And I will close there for now...but the gospel truly is a gospel of love and happiness....isn't it beautiful?

Ok now on a completely different note....the title of this post...
Casey (the said boyfriend mentioned in the previous post) came all the way out to The Farm in Forest Grove (yes we do have running water and electricity out there) and met some of the extended family for the first time. Of course I warned him that it would be loud and overwhelming, and that it was very likely he would be put on the spot. The night actually went very well though and everyone was on their best behavior...we almost made it out the door without anything too awkward or embarrassing being said. But of course that is asking for too much in my family and so as we were about to head out, my dad, gotta love him, says (and these are his exact words, and this is in front of all the family): "Casey, if you marry Nicole, you better make sure you don't cheat on her because Jacque's family has these ball crushers (aka a bull castrating tool) and they will use it on you." Dad!!!! This is not the first time he has brought up the M word and mind you Casey and I have only officially been an item for about two weeks. There is no filter on my Dad. He then proceeded to tell the story of the "ball crushers" and use the word "ball crusher" at least 20 more times. Casey took it all in stride though and laughed it off. If that doesn't scare him away I don't know what will, right? Haha props to Casey.

Single and Blogging. Shocking, I know.

So I've had this inner struggle about creating a blog.
It seems as if there's this unwritten prerequisite to having a blog,
and that perquisite is getting married,
and then, once married,
you can create a blog.
A couple's blog.
But so what if I'm not married?
I'm going against the grain and joining the blogging world anyways.
I was inspired by this amazing woman, Stephanie Nielson.
Her story is incredible, and her blog is uplifting. You must read it if you want to get a good chuckle,
and feel ready to tackle life,
whatever it brings. So go read her blog. Now.
Her testimony of Jesus Christ,
and the Plan of Salvation,
is unwavering and she truly is a light than shines in the darkness.
But she is also completely down to earth.
Example #1: she lets her kids run around naked.
Example #2: she had her toddler pee on the tire of the car in a parking lot.
At Target. Because it's much easier than going in to the store.
And she "did what any mother would do."
Love her!
So I dedicate my blog to her. Oh and you should go read her blog
She inspired me to start a blog after I heard why she first started blogging.
It had to do with a certain talk by Elder M. Russell Ballard,
entitled "Sharing the Gospel Using the Internet." Read it here!
One little quote from his talk states:

"There are conversations going on about the Church constantly. Those conversations will continue whether or not we choose to participate in them. But we cannot stand on the sidelines while others, including our critics, attempt to define what the Church teaches. While some conversations have audiences in the thousands or even millions, most are much, much smaller. But all conversations have an impact on those who participate in them. Perceptions of the Church are established one conversation at a time."

I find that I am guilty too often of choosing not to participate in these conversations about the church and gospel principles, and that ends here, today. Each day I will keep his question in mind that Elder Ballard poses: "How will you use these marvelous inventions? More to the point, how will you use them to further the work of the Lord?" I am no longer going to sit on the sidelines, I'm going to use the internet (via my blog) to participate in these conversations. So consider yourself warned: this blog will contain my thoughts about religion and the gospel, my testimony, and quotes from church authorities...read at your own risk! But no worries, I'll also keep you updated with fun little stories about my crazy life:
I'm living at home.
With my family.
After graduating from college.
I share a room with my five year old sister.
And my 3 year old brother.
Oh, and temporarily with my 12 year old brother.
I think that is the definition of crazy.
P.S. I'm dating this guy.
And I'm kind of smitten.
And did I mention that you should read Stephanie Nielson's blog?