2014 LDS youth theme

Sunday I spoke at a fireside for the youth in my ward.  
My topic was this year's youth theme, "Come Unto Christ."


In my talk I asked the youth how they could show that they are followers of Christ and listed 
their answers on the board.  
I reminded them that being a follower of Christ is a process and something we have to 
work on all the time.  None of us are perfect and we all have things we need to do better.  
Then I asked them to accept the invitation to Come Unto Christ by writing down 
(on the following card) the area(s) they want to improve on. 
Some of the answers were:  say sincere prayers, serve others, scripture study, 
get rid of negative influences etc.  Our youth did a great job with this!



I asked them to put their card, with what they are working on, somewhere they could see it.  
I suggested on their mirror so they can see it each day and work on it each day.


This card would be a really good thing for anyone to work on their relationship with the Savior.  

Money Birthday Gift for Teens

Do you struggle with what to give your nieces and nephews or even your kid's friends?  I know, me too!  Take my advice and give them want they really want... Money!  Sure, you could stick a few bills into a card and call it good. But there is a more creative way to gift them with cash!  Give them

A Money Birthday Gift

with favorite candy bars wrapped with dollar bills, tied up with ribbons makes a perfect way to give them what they really want.  


how to give money as a birthday gift to teens - candy bars wrapped with dollar bills

Utah trip

Sorry for the long time between posts.  I had a crazy, CRAZY couple of weeks.  
Here is a rundown of what I've been up to:


I flew to Utah at the beginning of last week for my Grandmother's funeral.
While I was there for a sad reason, I was able to stay for a few extra days and I really enjoy my trip. 

The scenery in Utah is stunning!  Snow covered Utah Mountains are one of my most favorite sights in the entire world!!  


Since I live in the south now and rarely have to, I had forgotten what it's like to scrape ice off of your car windows every time you leave in the morning. It made me laugh- especially trying to scrape with the dinky scraper the rental car company provided me with.  


My mom and I were able to sneak away for a bit to chat and run to IKEA.


I picked up this fantastic desk lamp and some new curtains I think I'm going to put in my living room.


One of my favorite places to eat is Training Table so of course I had to make a trip 
there for some cheese fries.  Yum!


I was thrilled to get to go to the Jordan River Temple with one of my cousins.  That temple is huge!!!  


I also met up with one of my blogging besties Melissa.  We had a wonderful lunch and then 
hit a few shops in downtown Ogden. 


I snagged this awesome little vintage postal scale and a street sign.  I think it's so fun that I bought this sign in Utah and brought it home to the south!  


Before heading back home to TN at the end of the week, I was able to attend 
(and help decorate) my sister in law's baby shower.  

As nice of time I had visiting with family members, friends and seeing the beautiful sights, I was so happy to come back home to my family.  I am so thankful for my sweetie who was able to 
work from home last week so I could travel.  




organizing winter hats and gloves

When we moved to Tennessee I was surprised at how cold it gets in the winter.  Sure it doesn't stay chilly and snowy for long, but we do get a few days of winter weather every year.  My kids need hats and gloves to stay warm, but we don't need them all the time.  It was a dilemma.  


Most of our snow accessories and shoes ended up in wet piles on the floor.  It drove me crazy!!


So in an attempt to get our junk up off of the ground, I bought an 
over the door shoe organizer (amazon affiliate link).


I went through all of our stuff, threw out the stuff that was holey/broken and donated the stuff that was still good but my kids had outgrown.  


Then I tucked all the keeper items into the pockets. 
I put my oldest and husband's items on the top row since they are the tallest.  
My little guy's stuff is on the bottom rows. This system won't work if I can't get my kids to put their stuff away.  And yes, my son wears his flip flops and slides all year long.  Whatcanyado?


This organizer has been a life saver!  
It's an inexpensive and easy fix for a big old mess!!  

Seems winter seems to just be getting started (fortunately or unfortunately), check out these fun 
WINTER posts from some of my fave blogging girls!



Snow Inspired Decor by Melissa from Hollyhocks & Honeybees 
 Snowball Recipe by Adrienne from Free Time Frolics 
 Snowflake Craft by Kaylynn from Among the Young 
 How to Run in Cold Weather by Andie from Maybe I Will 
 Getting the Most out of your Leggings by Ashley& Meegan from Flats to Flip Flops 
 Snow Wreath by Emily of The Benson Street


gold polka dot candy dish

Even though the holidays are over now, we still occasionally get together with friends and loved ones.  
So there's always a reason to have a nice hostess gift on hand.  


A gold polka dot candy dish is the perfect gift!


I started with a plain glass dish and a gold oil based sharpie (amazon affiliate link).


I wiped the bowl down to make sure it was free of smudges and surface dirt.  
Then I just drew and colored in circles all around the dish.


I always go for the hand drawn, imperfect look. 


Once the paint dried, which was quick, I added some chocolate.


Then I put it into a bag and tied it with a gold tulle bow.  Simple!
I think this would work well for a birthday gift too.

Top posts of 2013

I have loved looking back over my blog to see 2013 projects.  

Here are some top posts, in no particular order.    


grey and white painted kitchen table












living room home tour

Thank you to each and every one of you for making 2013 a banner year for me.
I would invite you all over for treats and a diet mountain dew or dirty diet coke if I could.  Please accept this virtual hug from me!


linking up to:  the 36th Ave