My 2 cents about breastfeeding

Is this

more offensive than this

This article is just the latest story to be released about a breastfeeding mother being asked to remove themselves from a public place because they were nursing.

I have had it so back on the soapbox I go. 

In the aforementioned article, the woman was asked to leave a public kiddie pool because she was nursing her baby. This woman is at a pool, where I am almost positive there were multiple woman, cellulite and all, showing way more than this woman would be by breastfeeding her baby. Why do people go crazy when they see a woman nursing?? Do you know WHY woman have breasts? It is to feed babies!! That is what our breasts are intended to do! Now whether or not you choose to breastfeed is a personal decision. I am not saying that every woman must nurse their baby until they are old enough to ask for a sippy cup. However, I am asking that people stop being so judgmental when you see a woman nursing. There is nothing provocative about it. They are feeding their child. PERIOD. 

Would you like it if while you were eating your sandwich someone shoved a blanket over your head so no one would see you? Or better yet banished you to the car or bathroom so the sight of you eating wouldn't offend anyone? Well that is what you are telling a nursing woman by asking her to leave in order to breastfeed her child.  Never mind the fact that it is a legal right to breastfeed in public, it is just plain rude to tell a woman who is trying to feed her young one to leave because you cannot stand the sight of the top half of her breast.  I see woman with more cleavage hanging out in Target than I ever show while nursing!! I don't see anyone telling the girl with the super low cut v neck tight shirt on to leave. Or worse, the mom with the string bikini and 4 kids at the pool with all of her goodies hanging out. No one is asking her to go anywhere even though she has left nothing to the imagination.

So the next time you see a woman nursing her baby take it for what it is, nourishment!  She is providing her little baby with love, food and comfort. We should all be so lucky!

Stepping off the soapbox...for now.

Product Review: 409 Stone and Steel Cleaner

I know what you are thinking.

Is she really blogging about a cleaner??

And the answer is Yes I am.

Few things drive me more insane than streaks.  Streaks on the mirror. Streaks on the glass. And especially streaks on granite and stainless steel.  It drives me freaking insane.

I have tried every tip, trick and product out there but I have never found a 2 in 1 product I can use daily and love.

Enter 409 Stone & Steel cleaner. 

It actually does what it promises. Cleans granite, marble and stainless steel and leaves a streak free shine.  The best part is I only paid $4.99 for it!! I picked this up at Smiths, but it is available at stores everywhere.

Give this a try!! And if you have a cleaner you think I should try, let me know!!!

Sunday Brownies

Let the mouth watering begin.

As many of you know I LOVE cooking. It is my single favorite past time.  I am always researching new recipes and rarely make the same recipe twice.  So if I have a recipe I repeat more than once you know I really like it.  And if I tell you I make these brownies at least 2 Sunday's a month, it's safe for you to assume I am borderline obsessed with them.

These brownies are more of a cakey consistency as opposed to a fudgey consistency. I am usually a fudgey brownie gal, but I take exception for these gems. This recipe is fast, easy and I usually have all the ingredients on hand which is a major plus. 

So this Sunday give them a try!! I hope you love them as much as I do!

Sunday Brownies
Recipe from Mels Kitchen Cafe

1 12 ounce bag of chocolate chips (any kind you like-I usually use semi sweet or milk chocolate)
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 large eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large saucepan over low heat, melt butter and chocolate chips. Stir constantly and remove from heat when chips are fully melted. In the same pot, blend in the sugar and vanilla. Then add eggs, one at a time, blending well after each egg is added. Add flour and salt and beat until air bubbles form in the batter. Pour into a greased 9x13 inch pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn down the heat to 325 degrees and bake for 10 more minutes.

Who are you?

Who am I?

This question is very haunting if you think about it. I mean really think about it.

Who am I?

Well, I am a wife, a mother, a stay at home mom, a sister, a daughter, a friend. However none of those things are WHO I am.  Those are just roles I play in life; that is WHAT I am, not WHO I am.

Who am I? What defines me as a person and makes me special and unique? What are the talents I have been blessed with? What is my purpose in this life?

Overwhelmed yet. Yeah me too.

I really do believe that each and everyone of us has a purpose. The question is how do we find our true purpose so we can go about doing whatever it is we were created to do? I don't know the answer to that question.  In fact I'm not even close to knowing how to answer that question.

If you asked me to describe myself in one sentence it would go something like this:

I am a kind hearted, loving, outspoken, woman who loves traveling, the beach, my family, is obsessed with cooking, hair products, and loves American Idol.

Hmmmm. Not exactly life affirming but I did only give myself one sentence.

My new goal, in addition to my 1, 2, 3, 4 challenge, is to do some deep soul searching and pondering to try and find my life's purpose. Life is short. I want to go to my grave knowing I gave everything I could to this world and hopefully someone's life was a little bit better by knowing me.

I end this post with a quote from my sometimes funny and very witty husband, "Always remember you are special. Just like everyone else."

Product Review: Moraccan Oil

If I were going to be stuck on a desert island for 1 year and I could only bring 5 things with me, this would be 1 of the 5 items.  Actually I would bring 2 bottles so it would be 2 of the 5 items...

This is what I like to call a "holy grail" product.  Something I cannot live without and cannot be replaced. I have tried other "Moroccan oil" products or Argon oil products and they do not hold a candle to this.  

What is so fabulous about this oil?? Well for starters:

-It is an amazing detangler

-It is a heat protectant when I am straightening my hair

-It is a straightening oil to make my hair super straight

-It moisturizes my hair without being greasy or oily

-It easily absorbs into my hair and does not leave a residue

-It smells amazing

I could go on forever. Not only do I love this product for my hair, but it works amazingly well in my bi-racial daughters hair.  If their hair is really tangled, I smooth on a small drop of this and the tangles melt away.  If I am curling their hair I put a little of this oil on before curling; it helps the curls hold longer and gives their hair incredible shine. 

The only negative about this product is it is not readily available.  In Utah they sell it at Peerless Beauty Supply but you have to have a cosmetology/hair stylist license in order to purchase it. I have seen it for purchase in a few salons and there are multiple websites online you can purchase it from online including amazon.com.  It costs about $42.99 (depending on where you purchase it) for the large bottle. The large bottle will last me about 4 months depending on how often I straighten my hair. A little bit goes a long way so you the bottle really does last a while. It is a little bit expensive but you get what you pay for!! 

I highly recommend you trying this product if you have hair that easily tangles!! This product is good for all types of hair so give it a try no matter what kind of hair you have!

4 Things You Should Do Every Morning

Last month I was listening to an inspirational church talk given by a woman named Sister Julie B. Beck.  Her talk was mainly centered around how to be more Christlike, but the part that struck me the most was a list of 4 simple things she does every morning to start her day off on the right foot. I was amazed at the simplicity of these 4 things, yet the profoundness of them as well. So I started doing her list of 1, 2, 3, 4 and guess what?  My days went a lot smoother. I was a lot calmer with my children.  I smiled more and didn't get so agitated with everything.  After a couple of weeks, I got lazy. I stopped doing the list of 1, 2, 3, 4 and guess what? I' m back to being my easily irritable and agitated self.  So as I try and re-institute this counsel, I ask that you do it with me!! It's free, easy to do, and most importantly changes your outlook on life!!

Sister Beck's List of 1, 2, 3, 4

1. PRAY
Let's start with the basics. You opened your eyes, which means you are alive, you are breathing clean air in and out of your lungs, and your family/friends are also alive and breathing.  That right there is enough to be thankful for.  Take a moment and reflect on your blessings (no matter how big or small) and feel grateful for being given the gift of another day of life. Start your day with a prayer of heartfelt gratitude for everything and everyone in your life.  


2. SPEND TIME IN THE SCRIPTURES
The Bible isn't just for Sunday people. We live in a country where we have freedom of religion and as such we can read whatever religious text we choose without fear of persecution.  Take a moment and read a couple of passages from the scriptures. You may just read something that will inspire you or better yet provide you with the knowledge to provide inspiration to others!

3. MAKE YOUR BED
Sister Beck said, "an unmade bed is an invitation to give up on the day".  Hello!!! How many times have I said, "oh I'm so over today I just want to crawl in bed and start again tomorrow." Making your bed is a small gesture that says I am taking on today and I am not crawling back in this bed until the day is over. Plus a made bed instantly makes your room look clean!

4. GET DRESSED
If you live in my neighborhood you have no doubt seen me in my bright pink bathrobe.  I love it and it loves me. I am ashamed to admit that there are multiple days a week where the morning turns to afternoon and the bathrobe and I are still cozily going about our day. Getting dressed in the morning is another way to show the world (and yourself) that you are ready for anything the day may bring on.  You have metaphorically put on your armor and you are ready for whatever battles may come your way.

Sounds easy right?? Well then why is it I am struggling to do this consistently? I am committing to myself to do 1,2,3,4 for the next 30 days. I love the idea of starting your day with taking a moment to say thank you for all the blessings you have. When you think about it most of us are rich with blessings. We are healthy, we have people who we love and they actually love us back, we have a roof over our head and food to eat. These are all blessings we should give thanks for and not take for granted.

So let's do 1, 2, 3, 4 together!!! I am committing to it. Will you?

Pretty vs. Smart

I had an interesting conversation with my brother in law this 4th of July regarding the old pretty vs. smart debate.  By now most people have read the How To Talk to Little Girls article that was released last July. The writer of this article basically says when we speak to little girls we should generate intelligent conversation that respects their brains, focusing more on thought provoking conversation about books and world events rather than their beauty.  Instead of starting a conversation with "Oh Sara you look gorgeous today!" we should try and say "Sara how is school going? Have you read any interesting books lately?"  

I understand the point this writer was trying to get across.  We live in a celebrity driven, botox injecting, gym rat society where most woman are consumed with how they look.  According to a study conducted last year by the New York Daily News, the average woman will spend approximately $180 per year on make-up which translates into about $13,000 a lifetime.  Now lets be honest, if you are buying MAC or Sephora products that $180 needs to be tripled. With statistics like these its no wonder this woman wants us to focus on the intellect of our young girls and not their beauty right?? Well in my opinion, wrong. While I agree that we need to fully nurture our girls brains and raise them to be highly intelligent and capable woman, we certainly cannot ignore the fact that they need to have a solid self image as well.  If you spend all of your time telling your daughter, you are smart, you are intelligent, you have an amazing brain, the first 15 year old boy that tells her she is beautiful is going to have his way with her.  We need to stop the pretty girl vs. smart girl inner battle. Girls need to have a firm foundation, knowing whole heartedly that they are beautiful, smart and kind. We need to raise a generation of girls that are confident in who they are, where they came from and what they believe in. I want my girls to know without a shadow of a doubt that they are gorgeous, highly intelligent, compassionate and capable of doing anything they want.  I need them to know this in their core.  I want them to have the highest self esteem possible!! They need to 100% believe in themselves and there capabilities.  

My goal is to raise STRONG girls:

S-smart

T-truthful

R-respecatble

O-obedient

N-nurturing

G-gorgeous 

In today's society we need STRONG girls so we will have incredible woman ready to rule this world!!

Product Review: EOS Lip Balm

Do you know what this is?

Well neither did I until last week.

And now I am obsessed.

Last week while in St. George visiting with my incredible family, I saw my sister Rae pull out an egg shaped colorful tube and rub it on her lips.  I quickly asked her what the heck she was doing and she said, "Oh you don't know about the most amazing lip balm out there??"  Um no. No one told me the world's most amazing lip balm had:

A: Been discovered

B: Is at my local Target

C: Is only $2.99!!!

So of course, being the product junkie I am, we immediately hopped in the car and went to Target so I could see what all the fuss was about.  Sure enough, there it was. And just like everyone else in the world I have fallen in love.  This lip balm is amazing for so many different reasons! Let me share just a few with you:

1. Its organic. We all know how I love an all natural product.

2. It glides on like a gloss but doesn't have that overwhelming shiny look.

3. I love the little tube it comes in!! My sister has had this balm for 6 months and it still has kept its dome shape.

4. Big bonus for me-its big enough that I won't leave it in my jean pockets. I may have a slight issue with forgetting my chapstick in my pockets and then washing/drying said clothing with the chapstick....and ruining my clothes...

So the next time you are at Target (and they also sell it at Ulta) I highly suggest you pick up one or two of these little gems!! My favorite is the mint you see pictured above, but all the scents are great!!

If you love this product as well let me know!!! The first person to leave me a comment will receive a free EOS lip balm!