SPRING
C o n t a c t u s a b o u t o u r a m a z ing a d r a t e s : c a r o l i n e @ c a sualbloggermagazine.com
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Table of Contents:
4 Tech Know 7 Behind the Scenes: Cake Memoirs 12 Managing Your Emotions 16 Quick Tips for Awesome Portraits 21 What to do in Utah Valley 25 Letter to a 13-year-old Girl 31 How Healthy are You Really? 33 Just for Clicks 10 Blogging Confessions 19 Totally Legit Horoscopes 11 Craft: Ribbon Flower Corsage 37 Just Some Blogs that We Adore 39 Digital Spring Cleaning
It’s like housework, for your digital world.
Where we address the great blogging platform debate.
Want to know more about a great blogger? Read about Lot.
Because life doesn’t always go your way.
Sometimes the smallest tip can make your photos kick butt.
Coming to Utah? Know the events to attend and prizes to win!
Things you’d want to tell your daughter.
There’s an alternative to antibiotics and doctors visits.
Technology we couldn’t live without.
Real confessions from real bloggers.
I’ve looked into the stars and now I know your future.
This tutorial will rock your world.
We like these blogs - we hope you do too.
Cover image courtesy of flickr creative commons: http://www.flickr.com/photos/scrap_pile/6881519967 Table of contents photo courtesy of Thanksgiving Point
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N OTE F R OM T H E ED I TO R S : Welcome to the first edition of The Casual Blogger Magazine (which was previously The Barrel of Blogs Magazine, and once upon a time we just called it “That Thing We Should Throw Together ”). We’re glad you’re here! And hope that you continue reading. To the end. And then maybe reread your favorite parts. We’re under semi-new management here. But not really. But sort of. But only in the good sense. We’re expecting greatness to spring forth in this and future issues, so you might not want to lean into the screen too closely to read. And now that you’ve been warned - let the springing commence.
MAGAZINE CREDITS: Supreme Ruler Divine: Melissa Bastow Master Technician of Awesomenicity: Caroline Bingham Wise One of All Things that Matter: Veronica Johnson Uber Chief of Chiefly Things: Elisa Scharton The Essential PB to the J: Julie MacDonald 3
10 ways to declutter your digital life written by Caroline Bingham
Spring is a time to refresh and renew, and we’re not just talking about cleaning out the cobwebs. Now is the perfect time to freshen up your digital life, and here are our top ten tips to making that happen: 1. If you haven’t discovered an RSS reader yet, sign up for one stat. RSS readers bring all your favorite blog and site updates TO YOU. No more clicking over to a site, just to see that it hasn’t been updated yet. Speaking of which…. 2. If you DO use an RSS reader, it’s time to clean it up. Get rid of any sites that you have stopped reading. And if you all you do is skim? Unsubscribe and don’t look back. 3. Speaking of subscriptions… how many email lists are you subscribed to? Now, how many of those do you actually use and read? That’s what I thought. Unsubscribe from those lists. 4
4. Clean up your hard drive. Sort your files by year. Delete anything you don’t use. Clean out that cache, and you might be surprised by how much faster your computer runs.
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Get an external hard drive for all the files you need to keep but don’t use all the time, like photos of your kids or your favorite music downloads. And your external hard drive should ALSO be organized by year.
6. De-clutter your email! Go through your inbox, and get rid of the emails that you don’t need. If there are emails that you want to keep, add a label and file them accordingly. And if you have more than one email address….
7. Consolidate your emails. Our favorite email system is Gmail, which allows us to have all of our emails come to one place, but we can still “send mail as” the original address. Plus, we really like the priority inbox and label filters.
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Update your profile picture! We know that you really like the way you looked in high school, and yes, your children are cute…. But that is NOT what you look like now, and we would never recognize you if we saw you. Use a recent picture, and please, make sure it’s of your own face.
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9. Unclutter your desktops. For your computer desktop, only keep the files that you actually use every day. For your actual desk, get rid of stacks of notes and cables. A clean desktop is a happy desktop. On that same note, uninstall any computer software that you don’t use either.
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Close accounts you don’t use. Do you have more than one twitter account? What about Facebook? How many blogs do you actually have and use? And when was the last time you used Myspace or Plurk? Close any accounts that you haven’t used and don’t look back.
photo credits: www.flickr.com/photos/nationaalarchief www.flickr.com/photos/nantuckethistoricalassociation & www.flickr.com/photos/davewellbeloved/5378333486/
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written by Veronica Johnson
Which blogging platform is best? It’s a simple
question without an easy answer.
Blogger, WordPress, Tumblr and Posterous are just a few of the choices available. When selecting a platform you should consider a few things: • What will be the function of your blog? Personal, business, knowledge based? • What do you want it to look like? Do you want to keep it simple or do you have a flair for fancy and dramatic? • Who should be able to view your blog? Will it be open to the world or is it something for just you and your closest friends and family? • What kind of skills do you have? (Maybe patience should be considered here too.) • How much time and/or money are you willing to devote to your blog? The blogosphere is a colossal place and with all of the options available, there’s surely something for everyone. The two most commonly known blogging platforms are Blogger and WordPress. Let’s cover the pros and cons of each and you can decide for yourself which is best. 7
THE COST: Hosting is free but your URL will end with “.blogspot.com” unless you purchase a custom URL. (The yearly cost is about $10.)
THE LOOK:
The Blogger layout is simple and clean. It’s often viewed as one of the lower-
end choices, because of this simplicity, but you might find that it’s just what you need. There are thousands of free Blogger Themes at your disposal or you can design your own from scratch or from a template.
THE FUNCTION:
The gadgets and widgets available for your Blogger blog are getting
better every day. As far as sheer numbers go, they rival those available on WordPress (called Plugins). Loading time is speedy on Blogger. How quickly your site loads can mean the difference between a reader sticking around or going elsewhere.
DEPENDABILITY:
Because Blogger has one of the largest server infrastructures in the
world, you probably won’t see a blogger blog go down because of traffic overload.
THE LEARNING CURVE:
Very easy. Startup takes only a few minutes. The drag
and drop option on the Design builder is slick, and HTML editing gives you even more control.
THE DOWNSIDE:
SEO customization is pretty
limited when compared with that of WordPress and some advertisers will shun a blog that is hosted on a “free” platform like Blogger. As far as content, you are at the mercy of Blogger and if you don’t follow their Terms of Service they can shut you down. And quick.
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THE COST: Hosting is free at wordpress.com, but again, your URL will end with “.wordpress. com”. You also have the option to self host at wordpress.org. (Hosting costs vary, depending upon the services provided.)
THE LOOK: WordPress is highly customizable with many free and paid themes and plugins. These plugin functionalities can make your blog work and feel like a fancy website.
THE FUNCTION:
Very SEO friendly. With tags and
categories the “internet bots” can find your posts more easily. Images are easily optimized in WorPress by adding alt and title tags. This is good because we all know search engines love pictures! You also have full control over your content and are not bound by the restrictions of Blogger.
THE LEARNING CURVE:
Moderate learning Curve. WordPress is thought to be
difficult to learn, but once you get the hang of it you won’t regret it. If you have questions there is a wealth of knowledge on the WordPress support page as well as a host of other sites dedicated to the WordPress platform.
THE DOWNSIDE:
Monthly hosting fees are kind of a drag. And since WordPress is
open source, if you don’t know what you are doing it makes it easier for hackers to do their dirty work. You’ll need to take some extra steps to keep your site secure. Spam comments & trackbacks can also be a problem unless you install the necessary plugins like Akismet. My advice would be: Think about what you want to do with your blog. Ask your friends and favorite bloggers which platform they prefer. Then make the choice that is best for you.
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I looked into t h e
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stars & now
I k n o w y o u r f u t u r e.
by, Melissa Bastow
Don’t eat any more meat. The animals are coming to get you.
A poltergiest will move into your room. She’ll borrow all your shoes and use up your favorite red lipstick.
Your hair will completely fall out overnight. Invest in a wig. Preferably one that is not fuschia.
You will narrowly miss a horrible accident with a falling piano.
Get ready for love! He may not be tall dark and handsome, but you should just settle for your short dweeby mouth breather because I seriously doubt there’s anything better out there.
People don’t like you and your garlic breath. You need to chew some gum.
You will impulse shop like crazy. And then decide to give ever ything you bought to me.
Seventy-six trombones will lead a big parade in your honor. On a tuesday morning.
If you sit at the back of the bus, you will be stuck next to the sweaty farting man that ever yone tries to avoid.
Let’s stop pretending that you’re not insanely amazing. Because we all know you are. And also, you look fabulous in those sweat pants.
In an important meeting you will suddenly forget everything. Well, everything except how to make no-bake cookies and the 3 times tables, which won’t be any help anway.
Fortune, fame, serenity, adoration - get ready for someone else to have it all. Because it sure isn’t going to happen to you.
http://cakememoirs.com Name: Lot Blog: Cake Memoirs What is your blog about? cake, (food) crafts and web graphics Tell us a little about yourself: I live in Amsterdam with my husband and little boy. I am a working mum (software development industry) and my husband is a stay-at-home-dad. I love to bake, do crafts, and create web graphics in Photoshop (which happens to be also what my blog is about). How long have you blogging? Since October 2011
been
Why did you start blogging, and why do you keep doing it? I absolutely enjoy being able to have a place to show my fave recipes and crafts. I also enjoy making web graphics for other (bloggers) to use. How much time do you spend blogging? (This includes, but is not limited to: reading, writing, and commenting.) 10 hours a week I think, but more when I have some time off. 12
Even though I morph into a blogger at night, during the day I work at a software development company. My husband Sam stays at home with our little boy Eli. Here in Holland it’s very common that both parents work and the child goes to daycare at around 3 months old. But when we were considering this (and you have to decide at 8 weeks pregnant or daycare will already be full) we thought that what we wanted for our little boy was to be around his parents. We looked at our finances and it was clear that I would have to be the working parent, and Sam would be the stay-at-home parent. So I quit my company (I had owned my own IT consultanting business for 5 years) and applied for a permanent position in Amsterdam so that I would be able to be at home on time every day. So from one day to the next Sam and I switched jobs, which was weird at first but you get used to it. We honestly had no idea what we were getting ourselves into but it has been the best decision we have ever made. I love the idea that when I go to work, my little boy is snuggling up on the couch with his dad, watching his favourite tv-show and enjoying life without a schedule. If you are ever in doubt whether this setup can work for you, be encouraged that it has turned out PERFECTLY for us.
Read more great posts, recipes, and id 13
What is one of your favorite recipes? Lemon Curd is my favourite recipe because I can make it even with my little boy trying to ‘help’ me.
Easy and Delicious Lemon Curd 4 lemons 4 eggs 4oz unsalted butter 1 lb unrefined sugar Also get out: a big pan, a glass bowl, a wooden spoon, and some patience. a. Add a layer of water to the pan and put the glass bowl or smaller pan in it (au bain marie). Melt the sugar and butter over a low fire. b.Wash the lemons with soap and grate the zest. When the butter has been dissolved, slowly pour in the lemon juice squeezed from the juice of the 4 lemons. c. Thoroughly mix the 4 eggs in a separate bowl and slowly pour in the mix. Let this simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently. The mix should end up being slightly runny, when it cools off it will become less so. Important note: It is important that the eggs are absorbed by the mixture so it’s vital to do this 3rd step with care by adding only small amounts to the mix and stirring it in while adding. If you are giving this away you can wrap it up nicely in a glass pot. I cut out a tag from some scrapbooking sheets and perforated it. I added a little blue gingham bow and tied the whole thing up with cooking string. I got the glass bowl on the cheap from a thrift store.
e a s f r o m L o t a t : w w w. c a k e m e m o i r s . c o m 14
have a FREE PRINTABLE, our treat.
Click on the image to download and print this free high resolution 8x10� printable, courtesy of Peonies and Poppyseeds. www.peoniesandpoppyseeds.com 15
w r i t t e n b y Ky l e A l d o u s
Recently, I faced a few setbacks at work. Things did not pan out the way I wanted them to, and I was incredibly frustrated. When I was a kid, and something went wrong or turned out differently than I expected, I would hold onto the negative feelings, and two weeks later, I would still be stewing over the incident. What I didn’t realize was that moping never solved my problem. As I held onto certain issues, I kept myself from being able to move on to take advantage of new opportunities. 16
My mom saw how I was handling my disappointment and taught me a great trick for dealing with life’s setbacks. She said that when something goes wrong, you need to determine a set period of time that you’re going to allow yourself to be mad. Once that time has passed, you have to drop the issue and move on. Now, the moment something goes wrong, I tell myself: OKAY. You have 24 hours to be as angr y, sad, frustrated, upset, emotional, or as negative as you want (within the limits of not hurting others or consuming your own weight in hot fudge sundaes). Then I have 24 hours to let my emotions run amok. The SAD me usually mopes around the house and throws together a pity party. Pity party essentials: eating lots of candy and watching sad movies...by yourself. ANGRY me turns the music up loud and goes into a rage mode. Cars are excellent for this, because you can yell the lyrics along with the music as loud as you want, and you’re never in danger of public humiliation. But no matter what the situation has been, or how “amok” my emotions have gone, after 24 hours it ’s time to get on with life. This trick has been incredibly helpful for me to follow. It has helped me learn how to let go of anger, disappointment, and frustration, and it has allowed me to get to the bottom of my emotions. Now I’m able to let go of negativity and brooding and embrace whatever new opportunities await me.
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•Change of Scenery - if you’re inside, go out. If you’re outside, go in. Physically move away from the negative energy and give yourself a chance to recharge. •Count to 10... or even 20 or 100. Don’t react immediately, take a few breaths, and slow down and process your emotions •Exercise - physical activities are a great outlet for negative emotions. Go for a run, pop in an exercise DVD, or just walk around the block. Movement stimulates brain chemicals that help you feel happy
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Whenever I get a mean comment on my blog, I print it out, and BURN IT. It just makes me feel better. -Sara I have some pretty crazy neighbors, and every now and then, I’ll talk about them on my blog, but never have mentioned them by name. They started acting even odder than usually and I found out that it was because they had found and read my blog.... Now they won’t speak to me, but l’m actually really happy about it. -Heather I lied about my stats to an advertiser so that they would sponsor me at a blog conference. - name withheld I can’t STAND some of the “big name” bloggers out there. I mean, how do they have that many readers? They’re so obnoxious! -Emily I only read family blogs out of obligation - Jenn My sister only does things with her kids that would be “cute” and make good blog posts. Forget about good parenting for the sake of good parenting, if it’s not a good post, it’s not happening. -Kristi I get totally grossed out by birth stories, and I can’t believe how many bloggers post pictures of the baby coming out. {shudder} That’s adult content people, and I deserve a warning. - Caroline Bloggers that don’t use proper punctuation make me want to stab out my eyeballs. It doesn’t make your blog cute and hip. It makes your readers die on the inside and wonder how you ever graduated from elementary school. -Stephanie I can’t make dinner without consulting Pinterest - Susan I check my stats more than once a day, and I obsess over where my traffic is coming from... I hate summer vacation just because it screws with my numbers. - Megan E m a i l u s Y OU R b l o g g i n g c o n f e s s i o n s !
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c a r o l i n e @ c a s u a l b l o g g e r m a g a z i n e. c o m
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w r i t t e n b y B r y c e O l s e n , w w w. b r y c e o l s e n . b l o g s p o t. c o m
It never ceases to amaze me to see the technological advances that are happening in the photography world. Today, many compact point and shoot digital cameras have more megapixels than most hockey players have teeth! It’s becoming more and more difficult to find a camera that DOESN’T also record HD video, and the lists of additional features, modes, and picture-styles are so long I swear some of them could stretch to China and back with a few miles to spare. Despite how hard Canon and Nikon (and the slew of other companies) try to create a camera that is so automated your pet ferret (who actually owns a ferret these days??) could use it and get incredible results, there are still skills and techniques no setting or mode can perform. Before I get into the nitty gritty you need to understand one concept: focal length. Focal Length: The number that corresponds with how much of a scene is visible to your sensor. In 35mm equivalencies 17mm is very WIDE and will show a lot of a scene, while 200mm is very TIGHT and only a small amount of a scene will be visible.
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Here is a visual example:
Almost all cameras, both point-and-shoot’s and DSLR’s, come with a zoom lens. Zoom lenses are great for versatility and allowing you as the photographer to only carry one lens instead of leading a pack mule with an arsenal of bank-account-obliterating fixed focal length lenses. This does require you, though, to decide at what focal length to photograph your subject.
Here is a wide angle example:
Quick tip:
Zoom I n! 22
While the exposure is good and the lighting is nice, the wider angle doesn’t give a flattering perspective to my subject. It distorts her facial features and figure to make her appear larger in some areas. (It’s more exaggerated the closer you get.) In the photo, the background plays a bigger role than the subject. Unless you’re doing it on purpose, you don’t want the background to appear more important than the subject. Shooting a wider angle photograph has one more flaw: the distance from camera to subject becomes much shorter the wider you shoot, and may cause your subject to become uneasy and self conscious, which only makes your job more difficult. So take a few steps back and zoom in on your subject. The results will be far better for it.
Why zooming in makes a more flattering perspective: • It gives a more natural appearance to the subject. • The longer focal length compresses the background so it ’s not as distracting and helps create better bokeh, which is the aesthetic quality of the blur. • The increased distance between camera and subject can help them feel more relaxed and comfortable.
Of course, like most rules in life, this one is meant to be broken at times. There are some situations that can yield better photos with a wide angle, but most often you’ll be happiest with the results of zooming in. My best advice is to learn to follow the rule, then learn how and when break it. Get out there and experiment. The best way to perfect this tip is to do it yourself and learn from your successes AND your mistakes!
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What to do EVENTS: Tulip Festival @ Thanksgiving Point April 14-28 Plan your Spring activities now starting with the Tulip Festival at Thanksgiving Point! Enjoy all the colors of the rainbow in the form of nearly 100 varieties of tulips landscaped throughout the 55-acre Thanksgiving Point Gardens at this annual tulip festival. • Featuring 250,000 tulips, the Tulip Festival is an awe-inspiring vision that is restyled each year to create a new display. • On Fridays and Saturdays the Tulip Festival also includes live music, vendors, food, and storytelling. Garden tours and demonstrations run every day during the festival’s duration. • For more information and ticket prices visit UVTogether.com
Princess Festival @ Thanksgiving Point June 19-23 & 26-30 The Princess Festival is fun event this Summer for young girls AND BOYS. It is the ultimate fairytale experience because being royalty is more than glitter and ribbons. A true princess or prince is willing to make a difference in the world by using courage, compassion, and grace. Join our princesses on a journey through exciting interactive adventures as they learn to care about others. • Your little princesses/princes will have the opportunity to join in 6 different captivating adventures at his or her own pace and choosing. • Each adventure is between 15 to 30 minutes long for a total of 1.5 to 3 hours. • For more information or to purchase tickets visit UVTogether.com
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Bring your family and friends to Utah Valley this Spring for some of the biggest events in the country! Visit UVTogether.com for event information, giveaways, things to do, and find out why people love Utah Valley!
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What to WIN G iv e a w a ys :
To make your visit even more enjoyable we have several prizes and vacation giveaways all year long at UVTogether.com.
Digital Camera To capture your time at the Tulip Festival enter to win a new digital camera.
Garmin Watch Track your pace at the Utah Valley Marathon with a Garmin watch.
One night stay for 2 & $50 gift certificate Attend the Princess Festival in style with a one night stay for 2 and a $50 gift certificate to the Princess Festival gift shop for costumes and more.
Kindle Fire Read your favorite story on a Kindle Fire and get ready for live entertainment at the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival.
Utah Valley Vacation One lucky person will win the Utah Valley Vacation Giveaway! To enter you must create a video, 2 minutes or less, about why you want to visit or why you love Utah Valley. The winner receives a vacation package includes the following: • 4 hotel rooms for 3 nights (Bring your friends and family) • $1,000 in Frontier Airlines Fly-Bucks (Now serving the Provo, UT Airport) • Admission for 16 to Thanksgiving Point Gardens and Museum • $200 gift card at Robert Redford’s Sundance Resort • $400 Voucher to Seven Peaks Resort or Provo Beach Resort. The video with the most “likes” by noon MST on September 19, 2012 will win this free Utah Valley Vacation Giveaway!
For free information and help with planning your trip (visitor guide, lodging, etc.) contact the Utah Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau at 888-396-UTAH (8824) or visit UVTogether.com
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SAR AH • w w w. r a m b l i n g s o f a r e d h e a d . c o m April 29, 2010
Wai t, was t h e m e t a l k i n g ? Being a mom definitely puts me in the perfect position to say the most bizarre things ever, things I never would have a chance to say in some other area of my life. Maybe that’s because children do things that most adults would not do (regurgitate their milk while watching Sesame Street). Or maybe it’s because kids can turn your brain to mush if you’re not careful (No, I don’t think there are toys in your potty chair. Pretty sure it’s something else). I think this is true for most parents. You find yourself saying something just so ridiculous and if someone were to take a little listen into your conversation, not knowing you were talking to or about a child, they would have serious cause to report you to the local authorities. Case in point: One day I was cleaning up Bosco’s bedroom. He was putting in minimal effort to help until he saw a long lost Cheerio that had somehow ended up underneath his bed. He moved Heaven and Earth to get to that O. Sweet little chap, I thought. So eager to pick up the mess he had made. If only I had known pick up meant eat it up. I really should have known based on past experience. As I saw him pop the aged piece of cereal into his mouth, the disgusted mother in me sprang up and out. Before I had time to realize what I was saying, the words “Don’t eat that! A spider may have pooped on it!” escaped my lips. Okay. I know what you’re thinking. A normal person would never have said that whether it was to a child or not. Well, you may be right. But that’s exactly my point. I don’t usually go around thinking that things on the floor have been pooped on by bugs. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever thought about whether or not a bug has that sort of business to take care of. Somehow, this mommy brain of mine thinks on a whole other level, and it’s making me say the darndest things. (Spellchecker is informing me that darndest is not a word. Says who? Instead it suggested using dandiest. Well that definitely doesn’t sound right.) But enough about me. What about you? What have you found yourself saying that deserves a spot on the quote wall? Note: I should add that Bosco most definitely assured me that “a spider not poop on the O. It’s yummy. And I don’t eat poop.” So, yeah. No worries. 30
Annie Valentine
is a humor
columnist and blogger. She lives in a house with her husband, and four small children who call her “Mother”, “Mommy Dearest” and on special occasions “Your Royal Highness”. Catch up with her at
annievalentine.com, or you can send her an email at
regardingannie@gmail.com.
Photograph found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hellostanley/4536266428/
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by Annie Valentine
Right now you are 13. Right now, your biggest concerns are probably along the lines of Friday’s Algebra test, what color to get on your braces at your next orthodontist appointment, or how to properly use a straightener without burning your hand off. Between sports and school and, Heaven forbid, boys, you have plenty to think about right here, right now, in this very crucial moment in time. But for one moment, I’d like to you look at your leaders. Look at them, all of them. Some of them might be mothers or wives, or have some kind of career that does or doesn’t sound interesting. Did you know that Mrs. Nelson used to be thirteen with braces? Every one of those leaders was once your exact age and I’ve got a secret for you: they haven’t changed that much. Sure, their worries are now a few rungs up on the ladder, but the things that make them unique now are the same things that made them unique then. You might just be girls halfway between childhood and teenagers, but you have the ability to see into your future. So do it, close your eyes and picture yourself as a grown up. What are you? Married? Single? A mother or wife or career woman? Are you happy? Have you seen the world, or been to college? Are you an author or an artist or do you just sit around with your ipad all day and play Angry Birds? Because I’ll tell you this right now, if you don’t start making a plan for your life someone else will. Life is going to carry you along so don’t be stuck in the passenger seat, drive. Heavenly Father wants us to make plans and dreams and goals, He wants us to reach for things we didn’t think we could do or be, even if we fail. Each of us is like a ship on the ocean. There might be wind but you still have to steer the boat. Just be willing to let the wind push you in the right direction. When I was a girl I decided to make a big, ridiculous list of goals. On this list were things like “go to Jerusalem,” or “write a book by the time I’m 30.”
I also had “marry a super hot guy.” This one had a lot more to it than “super hot” but the idea was set when I was a very young girl. Making this decision when I was 13 influenced a lot of the choices I made in High School, and thankfully most of those choices were pretty good. Because let me tell you right now, if you don’t decide these things and put them down on paper, some place where you can read them and add to them and ponder them, the adversary will come up with his own list for you and he’ll do everything in his power to keep you from going or doing anything that will bring you happiness and success and joy in this life here on Earth. I am 33 years old. I am a mother to four kids, a wife to a super hot, darling man (who I sometimes yell at, but we won’t go into that), and I live in Europe. I went to Jerusalem, have written for newspapers and magazines and yes, even finished my first manuscript by 30. Is it published? Nope, but I did it. But I never would have written that manuscript if I hadn’t come across my list when I was 29 and remembered that it was a goal. If I hadn’t had the list and sat down to write the manuscript, I never would have gotten back into writing. If I hadn’t gotten back into writing I wouldn’t have my newspaper column or my blog, and second only to my life at home, they make me pretty darn happy. I believe that God wants us to be happy, but sometimes we have to go after happiness. We have to make right choices and look for the things that will bring us joy. We have to be brave and fearless in this life, even if that just means a willingness to try out for a local play or submit something to an art contest. Goals don’t get accomplished overnight, and seven out of ten times your time table will be way off. But don’t let failure hold you back. Write down your goals and do it regularly. My mother always says that when we write things down, we open the door for angels to help us. That sounds pretty darn good to me.
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how healthy are you, really? Imagine taking your child into the Doctor for a serious bacterial infection like strep or pneumonia, only be told that the bacteria you are trying to fight has developed a resistance to antibiotics.
What would you do? This scenario has become a reality for millions of people worldwide. Antibiotic resistant bacteria or “superbugs” are on the rise and have now been declared one of the CDC’s top public health concerns. Over the last decade, almost every type of bacteria has become stronger and less responsive to antibiotic treatment. Antibiotics are destroying the “good bacteria” in your gut allowing the “bad bacteria” to take over and it is this “bad bacteria” that is building resistance every time you use antibiotics. Lets take a look at the top products adding fuel to the “superbug” fire:
antibiotics
Widespread inappropriate use of antibiotics is the number one cause of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Antibiotics will not kill a viral infection; but try telling that to a Mother who has a child with a double ear infection. Parents are demanding antibiotics even though they are not effective in treating colds, flu, most sore throats, and most ear infections.
acne medication
These medications, coming in the form of oral antibiotics or an antibiotic cream, is adding fuel to the increasing drug-resistant bacteria.
antibacterial soaps and household products
Every day our children are pumping this problem right into their hands. A link between antibacterial chemicals used in personal cleaning products and bacterial resistance has been shown in scientific studies. The CDC has stated that it would take ten years to develop a new antibiotic that would be strong enough to combat antibiotic resistant bacteria. 33
The good news? T h e r e ’ s a s i m p l e s o l u t i o n ! After months of researching alternative solutions to help my daughter overcome her antibiotic resistant bacterial infection, I found a safe and effective way to assist the human body in fighting off “superbugs” while protecting the crucial stomach flora. doTERRA’s certified pure therapeutic grade essential oils are highly antimicrobial and can be used to assist the body in fighting both bacterial and viral infections. Essential oils have been used medicinally throughout history with great success. They are the ONLY form of medicine that has withstood the test of time. Once I started using doTERRA essential oils on my daughter I was amazed at the quick results. These wonderful little oils have now taken over my medicine cabinet and have become our first response to any ailment. And every drop of essential oil contains a different amount of compounds making it impossible for bacteria to develop a resistance.
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The doTERRA Family Physician Kit contains 10 essential oil that no home should be without. Here is a list of the oils that can be found in this kit along with my family’s favorite application for the oils:
1. lavender
This is the most versatile and popular oil. It is great for burns and takes away pain and blistering fast! It works very well as a sleep aid and has a very calming effect any time of the day. It also works as a natural antihistamine and provides relief from insect bites and allergies. Rub on your feet each night with lavendar essential oils for relaxation or headache relief.
2. lemon Use a drop of lemon every day in your water to keep your body acid free. It also
helps clean your lymphatic system. It is excellent for sore throats- just place a drop on your tongue or gargle with lemon water. You can also use it as a cleaning agent. Lemon oil will clean ninety-nine percent of bacteria.
3. peppermint This oil has been double-blind studied against Tylenol and was proven
to be just as effective in treating tension headaches. Peppermint Oil has been reported as being one of the most promising treatments for I.B.S. because it is fantastic for digestive issues. And, when inhaled, peppermind will stimulate the brain to increase alertness.
4. melaleuca (tea tree oil) Tea tree oil is fantastic for killing the bacteria
that causes acne. Plus it’s great for most skin conditions: general rashes, eczema, psoriasis, fungal infections, and MRSA. You can rub it on your head to control dandruff and on your chest for coughs.
5. deep blue Deep Blue essential oil reduces inflammation, and relieves sore muscles and back aches. You can use this oil on all sport related injuries or chronic inflammation.
6. oregano
This is your heaviest fighter oil with its scientifcally proven ability to kill MRSA (staph infection). It is one of the most important oils to use when fighting any infection. It comes as a very hot oil and must be diluted with any carrier oil (Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Almond Oil etc) if you want to apply it topically. For my older family members, our natural antibiotic is 4 drops of Oregano, OnGuard, and Lemon placed in an empty gel capsule to be taken 3 times daily. For the younger kids we dilute the combination with coconut oil and apply this to their feet or spine.
7. on guard This oil helps to strengthen your immune system. The US National Library of
Medicine now shows that OnGuard is effective in destroying the H1N1 virus (swine flu). It has also been shown to kill 17 different strains of MRSA. To take On Guard you can place 3 drops under your tongue daily, use 4 drops in a capsule with 4 drops of lemon oil, or just rub it on your feet every night. On Guard is also great for disinfecting via a diffuser.
8. breathe Use Breathe oil for respiratory infections, coughs, or asthma symptoms. You can
rub it on your chest to help combat congestion. Or rub it under your nostrils to help with snoring. Unlike other Vapor Rubs, Breathe will actually assist your body in fighting off the infection. 35
9. digestZen
This blend will work for any digestive disorder: Acid Reflux, heartburn, H.Pylori Bacteria, diarrhea, Constipation, IBS, etc. Seventy percent of your immune function is through your gastrointestinal tract so if you have a compromised GI you have a compromised immune system. Using DigestZen will help strengthen immune system. You can take 4 drops of Digestzen with 2 drops of peppermint internally or simply rub it on your stomach.
10. frankincense Frankincense oil contains
sesquiterpenes, enabling it to go beyond the blood-brain barrier. It may help oxygenate the pineal and pituitary glands so many people believe that it helps with anxiety and depression. Also several studies have been done on Frankincense and its ability to inhibit the growth of cancer cells. These are my favorite oils but don’t take my word for it, try it for yourself! You will be amazed at how fast and effective doTERRA essentials can be. When thinking where the world is heading with antibiotic resistant bacteria, and very few new antibiotics in development, it’s necessary to have these oils in your medicine cabinet. For more information on doTERRA essential oils visit my blog: www.iamdoterra.blogspot.com Or website: www.thinkdoterra.com/3365 Studies performed with essential oils can be viewed at www.pubmed.com
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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Yo u ’ l l N e e d :
• ribbon• glue gun • small piece of felt • pin clasp • button, bead, etc. for center
Adorn your favorite shirts, bags, and headwear with some gorgeous ribbon flower corsages. They’re easy to make and don’t require a lot of supplies, so you could make enough flowers to cover yourself from head to toe in springy goodness. This tutorial was found on this super fab blog:
w w w. v a n e s s a c h r i s t e n s o n . c o m
Cut 12 strips of ribbon at 2 1/2 inches in length. Dab a small dot of hot glue at the corner of your ribbon. Fold over (almost half way) and adhere. Do the same for the other corner. Then dab a little bit of glue in the middle and fold over your top like an envelope. Repeat for each strip.
Repeat the last step for each petal on the bottom layer. It’s easies to place your first petal, then the petal opposite. Then fill in the gaps with 2 more petals on each side. No matter how you place your petals, make sure it looks uniform.
Place a small dot of hot glue in the center of your felt circle and place one “petal” on it with the non-envelope side. Make sure the glue doesn’t adhere the corners or sides but just the very middle of the end of that ribbon strip.
For the next layer of petals place the ribbon strips so they overlay in between the first layer of petals. If you want you can cut off a little bit off the bottom of each petal so that it is slightly smaller than the first layer.
Place a small dab of hot glue at
To finish off your corsage you can glue a button or bead or whatever it is you’d like to use, in the center of your flower. You’ll also need to glue the pin clasp to the back. (For hair accessories, glue a clip on instead.)
the crease of ribbon meeting glue. Fold the edge so that when you glue it down it creates a fold. Repeat for the other side.
We found this tutorial exactly here: http://www.vanessachristenson.com/2010/05/tutorial-flower-corsage-for-celebrate.html All instructions and photos courtesy of Vanessa Christenson of V and co.
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