Saturday, October 26, 2013

25 by 25

Yesterday I turned 24.

365 days from now, I will be 25. Not only that, but I will be turning 25 on the 25th.

Something about that birthday has always seemed magical to me.
The "golden birthday" always seemed so far away when I was growing up, but all of a sudden it's staring me right in the face.

I'm scared of this whole growing up thing. My whole life I wanted it all to go faster and now I just really need it to slow down.

But like it or not, I'm now in my mid-twenties. I'm not necessarily where or who or doing what I thought I would be at this point in my life, but you know what? That's entirely ok. 

For this next year leading up to 25 I've compiled a list. A list of things I want to do, feel and experience in the next year. They seem individually insignificant, but at the same time, the idea thrills me. I'm excited to see what happens!
  1. Go somewhere new. All by myself. 
  2. Have some sort of significant cash in my bank account.
  3. Watch the sunrise.
  4. Pull an all-nighter.
  5. Find a new hobby.
  6. Completely unplug for an entire day.
  7. Read more.
  8. Try something new.
  9. Develop a cooking repertoire. 
  10. Go to the ballet.
  11. Splurge on something I probably don't need.
  12. Keep a plant alive.
  13. Catch a fish.
  14. Watch at least the top 10 movies on AFI's 100 Years 100 Movies list.
  15. Sew something.
  16. Meet someone who will become very important to me. 
  17. Learn how to better deal with mornings. 
  18. Get my body back to the one I was growing to love and feel proud of.
  19. Play the piano more and remind myself why I fell in love with it in the first place. 
  20. Become more dedicated in my church habits. 
  21. Balance my soda intake with other good stuff (because saying I'd cut Diet Coke out completely is just silly)
  22. Go to more of the Utah temples. 
  23. Read the Book of Mormon again. 
  24. Finish all of the pieces and projects of my masters degree. 
  25. Decrease what I owe on my car to at least half of what it is now. 
And there you have it. 25 things to accomplish in the next year. Wish me luck!

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

The Actual Worst

Here's the thing. Dating sucks. 
And not in the "boys are dumb, don't make this so complicated" way, but in an actual "this sucks, I hate it more than I hate anything" sort of way.

*And this isn't to say this is about one experience or about every experience. Just a generalization.*

I hate the games and the little things involved in making something happen. 

How one or both parties look way too far into things. "Oh! We both like this band!? Clearly we're meant to be!"

And the texting! I hate the texting. 
The trying too hard, the exaggerations about what you were doing at the time you received said text. 
The same old get to know you questions every single time. 
The over-the-top emoticons. 
The too-many compliments that you run out of ways to respond to. 
Ugh. 

I hate first dates. 
And the end of first dates. 
And the after first dates. 

Why can't we just jump to the end? Skip the in-between please. 

Or hey, maybe it's different when both sides are equally interested...? 
Like then the texting and the questions and the everything is cute?
I forget what that's like. 

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Lessons Learned

Fast Sundays have never been my favorite.
I get headaches really easily and that is only spurred on by the lack of food and water.
Our whole lives we've been told that we need to fast with a purpose.
However, there have been very few occasions throughout my life that fell around a Fast Sunday or that I felt like would really benefit from a special fast.
Because of that mentality, Fast Sundays are a struggle.

Over the last few months there have been two instances that have completely changed my attitude toward fasting.
My testimony has grown exponentially.

First there was Danny.
Remember that?
I thought that was it. That was the lesson-teaching trial I needed.

Then came Dallin's accident.
Dallin is one of my best friends from high school and we've stayed close since he moved to Logan.
I won't hash out all the details of the last few weeks, but it's been tough.

When he was first taken to the hospital, things looked bleak.
No one really knew what was going on or what the prognosis was going to be.
Everyone came together so quickly in prayer and support for the Wengert family.
The next Sunday after the accident was Fast Sunday.
So many people who know Dallin, along with countless others who don't know him, fasted with Dallin, his family and his doctors in mind.
The Spirit I felt that day was indescribable.
At the same time, I had the sickest, worst feeling in the pit of my stomach at the same time.
I sat in church with the littlest things setting me off in tears but building me up at the same time.

Over the last few weeks, countless miracles have occurred.
There is love and support from literally thousands of people all over the world pouring in for the Wengerts.
Yesterday, Dallin left the hospital.
He went home.
Not even a month and a half after this terrible accident, he is well on the road to recovery.

Today was Fast Sunday again.
Today I again fasted with this story in mind.
However, today was different.

Today was a fast of gratitude.
Gratitude for Dallin's recovery.
Gratitude for Amy's strength.
Gratitude for the doctors and rehab staff who are helping Dallin.
Gratitude for the way people have come together loving and supporting this sweet family.
Gratitude for the impact this has had on me, my testimony, and the rest of my life.

Prayer works. Fasting works. That's all there is to it, you guys.


Sunday, June 30, 2013

Living the Dream

It's funny how as you grow up, things change.
For most of my life, I'd had my heart set on being the "career mom."
I never wanted to be THAT Mormon mom who just stayed home cleaning and cooking and such.
I wanted to be that mom who had the perfect work life, but somehow still managed to keep that spotless home, have dinner on the table and raise charming, well-behaved children.
Somehow, I was going to do it all.

The thing is, the closer I get to having to enter the "real world" of life after college, the more I really don't want to.
I love my job and would love to keep doing it, but it is SO not conducive to being a mommy.
All of a sudden, all I want is to stay home and just BE.

The more babies I see, the more time I spend with my favorite kids, the more I realize that's the life I want.
I want to be the soccer/football/basketball/dance/whatever mom.
I can't wait to play with them, explore with them.

I want to teach them.
Teach them to love books.
Teach them the gospel.
Teach them to move and be active.
Teach them to love.
Teach them to love music and culture.
Teach them to stand up for themselves and for each other.
Teach them to pray.

Today in church we watched a movie of some church leaders discussing the life of Mary Fielding Smith.
A single mom for much of her life, she moved her family across the plains and focused on raising them in righteousness.
She dealt with a whole lot but it resulted in so many great things and an incredible posterity.
The choices I make now are going to have such an impact on the future - so many things I can't comprehend or fathom right now.

I want that. I want all of it.
It's just a matter of remembering that it's not in my timing, but His.
The longer it takes, the better I'm getting, the better he's getting and the better everything will be.

Friday, May 17, 2013

A Little Fall of Rain

For the last few days, a storm has been brewing. 
The temperatures have dropped and the sun has gone into hiding. 
The wind has been blowing, clouds forming and welling up with water. 
This afternoon, those clouds finally broke,  letting the drops finally fall to the ground.
I drove home from work as the first sprinkles let loose.

Suddenly, water was falling from my eyes as well. 
Everything had been building up and out of nowhere, became too much. 
I was driving home to an empty apartment - devoid of people, furniture, entertainment.
I had dealt with two back-to-back phone calls, forcing further delays in moving and work. 
I was facing another weekend of nothing to do. 
From mid-August through March, my weekends are booked solid.
Because of that, by the time April rolls around I'm completely out of all social circles. Everyone has their "regulars" they hang out with, whether or not they actually have anything to do. 
People have jobs and boyfriends and roommates who don't have significant others. 
I have none of that. 

It's a short drive home, but somehow it was long enough for all those thoughts to find their way into my brain.

So here I sit, on the floor of my empty living room, watching Gilmore Girls DVDs on my computer. 
The biggest thrill of the night is the half-pint of Haagen-Daz ice cream that stands in my freezer. 

The thing is, in every rainstorm, there are bright spots. 
There are streams of sunlight, breaks in the clouds, and the sight of a rainbow if you're lucky. 
Today, this was my ray of sunshine. 


"Megan, I gots yous a fwower this morning!" 
My favorite 5-year-old had this waiting for me at my desk this afternoon. 
A few minutes after I got to work, he came running in to tell me all about it. 
Combined with the best little hugs you'll ever experience, it's hard to stay down for too long. 
As I sit here, every time I start to dwell on things or start crying again, I think of this little dandelion. 
Such a simple thing, but a bright simple thing. 

I'm off on a truly exciting trip to Walmart to stock up on cleaning supplies to tackle this empty apartment.
May as well do something productive with all this free time. 

Friday, May 3, 2013

Bonus Material (Like on DVDs)

A year ago, a Utah State student-athlete fell while rock climbing.
In an accident that could have killed her, she suffered multiple bone fractures in her legs and was paralyzed from the waist down.
This weekend, she will walk across the stage to receive her college diploma.

The whole story, particularly her attitude throughout the whole thing, has been an incredible thing to follow.
I got to write a story about her for work, you can read it HERE if you so desire (which I suggest you desire... I kind of like it.)

Anyway, a huge part of her story and the reason she has reacted the way she has is due to her faith and belief as a member of the LDS Church.
While Utah is predominantly LDS, I didn't feel like I should include that as a huge focus of my article.
So instead, I just wanted to share something she said here.

"The first time I remember crying in the hospital was just because I felt such an outpouring love. There was love from family members, from the university. I just felt so blessed to be alive. There’s a reason I’m not dead, a reason I’m still here. I still have work to do. My mindset was that it was going to be easier with God than without him. If I got mad and closed off, I’d just be making it harder on myself. That kept me going. I needed to remain close to my Savior and to God."

I mean, really!? How incredible is she to have that as her first realization?
We've all been through hard things, but it's so easy to let your first instinct be the negatives and "woe is me" kind of thing

In my years as a journalism student and a writer, I've talked to a lot of people.
I've done countless interviews. 
Only a couple of times though has an interview made me tear up. 
This is easily one of my favorite interviews and stories I've done. 
Let me know what you think!




Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Wednesday Wonderfuls

So it's Wednesday. Generally Wednesdays are reserved for Wednesday Wisdom, but you'll notice I've been kind of MIA lately. Maybe I'm all out of wisdom? Maybe I'm just tired? Who knows.

Anyway. My cute friend Alyssa (for real though, check her out and she can be your cute friend too! HERE) writes Wednesday Wonderfuls posts, talking about the good things that are happening. Those are pretty plentiful right now, so this week, that's what you get.

  • I have a new job! Well, another job is more accurate, because it's not like any of the others are going anywhere. I'm headed back to my roots of the good ol' Texas Roadhouse. Working at the Marana one in high school was so fun and provided some of my fondest memories from those days. It will be tough to not compare this one to Marana, but I'm still excited. I have orientation this weekend and then training next week... After that, come visit me!
  • I found out that along with paying for school, I'm going to get a $500/month stipend from Athletics. I've been getting that the last couple months and it has made SUCH a difference. I'm so much less stressed about money which makes me so much less stressed about everything else.
  • The awkward yet entertaining moment of yesterday goes as such. I call my dad who answers the phone while someone asks him if he's seen the Rocky Horror Picture show. I pipe in and say "Oh man, I love Rocky Horror!" At which point I feel immediate regret, because that's not the kind of movie you admit to your parents you've seen, let alone love. Dad just laughs, says "Of course I've seen it! It's great!"
  • I spend a lot of time with my boss' kids. They come hang out in my office every day and are so funny. Yesterday, a coworker offered a cookie to the younger one, saying he needed to eat it quick before his brother got there. The brother is one of the no-gluten kind of people, so we didn't want him to feel bad. D thinks about it for a second and says "Yeah, I'll have it. I like the glutens!" I like the glutens too, bud. Glutens are my favorite. Things like that happen every single day and make me laugh so hard! We have all sorts of summer plans including the two of them playing on baseball teams. Can't wait to watch them!
  • Speaking of summer... it's practically here! SnoShack opened on Saturday and one barbecue is already under the belt. Both things signify that it's for real. We finished our finals a week earlier than regular finals week, so it's been interesting to sit around this week while everyone is frantic and stressed about tests. The downside is, we have summer classes, so it starts all over again on Monday night.
  • Amy and I found out yesterday that we can move into our new apartment anytime! We were supposedly going to have to wait until June 1, but the manager called us yesterday and said we're good whenever! We have a lot going on and have contracts to deal with and such, so we're still waiting til May 20, but that sounds a lot sooner than June 1! Can't wait. We have all sorts of ideas planned for the summer.
  • Oooh... one of those plans includes hitting up as many Utah temples (ok, 'hitting up' sounded odd there...) as we can during the next few months. However, we found out yesterday that if you're going to do baptisms in a temple outside of your district (so any temple other than Logan) you have to bring your own names. That's a whole lot of names! Two (sometimes three) people, 12 temples, adds up pretty quick! We'll try and round up as many as we can, but if you or anyone you know have names that need baptisms done, we are more than happy to help!
Ok, I think you get the picture. Things are lovely right now. I could keep going I'm sure, but I don't want to bore you :) I hope you have a lovely Wednesday and encourage to think of all the things going well right now, rather than the not-so-great things. It makes a difference, I swear! 

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Wednesday Wisdom

I know I shared this on Facebook already, but I don't care.
It's just that good.
This is a video they shared at the Young Women Broadcast last weekend as part of General Conference.

if you don't understand this whole thing, read HERE and HERE to find out more about the temple.
I've watched this so many times and I still cry every single time. LOVE it.

Since January, my best friend and I have been going to the temple every Thursday morning. 
7:30 a.m. is the only time we could both guarantee to be available. Both being far from morning people, it's been tough. But I can promise you it's been worth it. 
The brethren and sisters who work there in the mornings have come to know us and look forward to seeing us. 
There is no better thing to hear on a cold, early morning than "Good morning Sister Allen! Welcome to the temple!"
While they've been early mornings, I've noticed such an incredible difference in my life. 
I've been happier. I've been less stressed. I've done a better job of focusing on the important things. 
There really are blessings that come from standing in holy places. 
Amy and I joke that we are racking up our "hot husband points" by going so regularly, and while it's funny, I think it's true to a point. By doing the right things now, we'll be blessed in... all sorts of capacities ;) The longer we have to wait, the better we're getting and the better our husbands are getting ;)
I can't wait for the day that I can go through the whole temple. 
Being there every week makes me real excited. 
And now, it's bedtime because I'm leaving for Ohio at 8 tomorrow morning, meaning Temple Thursday had to get moved up to 6:30... I don't remember the last time I got up that early :/ Oh well. Worth it, right? 
Also, if you're interested, you can watch the rest of Saturday's broadcast HERE

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Pants & Prayers & Perplexities

It all started with pants.


LDS women all over decided they were tired of being "different" in the eyes of the church. 
They organized this whole deal, encouraging women to wear pants to church on a specific Sunday. 
Supposedly it was going to be a way to "stick it to the man" and be express their disgruntlement with gender inequality in the church. 

Here are a couple articles about it in case you missed it...

Salt Lake Tribune
New York Times

I figured it was just a phase, but then it came to prayers. 


All of a sudden women were angry that our gender wasn't being represented in General Conference and other meetings. 
To be honest, I'd never even noticed that women weren't praying. 
Even once it was pointed out it me, I thought "Meh. Just the way it goes, I guess."

Apparently their efforts paid off today.

(even though the article says "Church spokesman Scott Trotter would not confirm or deny the female prayers.")

And it's not that I have a problem with women praying in Conference. 

The problem I have is that they think there is a problem with gender equality. 
Historically, our church is all about the men.
They have the Priesthood, they are the leaders. 

But the way I see it, that's not in any way saying that women are inferior or less important. 
Yes, it's sort of stereotypical that we have the babies, raise them, cook the dinner, clean the house, and play the mom role, but SO WHAT?
What's wrong with that?

I am so proud to be a woman in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 
There is nothing wrong with the role that we have. 
It is difficult and incredibly important to have that in the church. 
I can't wait to be married in the temple, have those babies and make that dinner. 
At the same time though, I plan on having a career. 
Guess what? You can do both. 

It's not an issue of equality, it's just differences. 
If you're in to this sort of thing and the 'issues,' that's great. 
I just don't get it.
I don't see any injustice or anything being done wrong. 
This church is led by incredible men and women who have the Lord on their side. 
That's the only opinion that really matters to me. 

Ok, rant over. Carry on :)

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

A Welcome Distraction

Sometimes when you're studying for a midterm, you pull up the Mormon Messages website to listen to in the background.
Sounds like a smart idea, right?
A distraction, but not too much of one.
False.
Because you turn them on, randomly click on videos, and each one is something you desperately needed to hear.
Then you find yourself replaying them, over and over.
And then you're just sitting there crying.
And then 45 minutes later you realize you haven't actually gotten anywhere with the studying.

But that's all ok.
Because along with that, you realize that

your Heavenly Father loves you. always.



you are not alone.



everything will work out.



you are a child of God.



among the hard things, are good and wonderful blessings.


And I could keep going on and on and on.
But I won't, because I really do need to study.
But go HERE if you want to watch more!

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Wednesday Wisdom

This video was released last week (I think?) and I can't stop watching it. 
It's fantastic. 

If you've ever been through anything hard, (so... all of us...) this will hit you. 

I can't make it through this without crying, consider that you're warning. 

If the foundation of faith is not embedded in our hearts, 
the power to endure will crumble.

 We never need feel unloved or alone, because we never are.

His love is unfailing.

The talk is an excerpt from Pres. Henry B. Eyring's talk from last April, called Mountains to Climb
As always, that was such a great Conference, but this was definitely a talk that stood out to me. 
It made me really excited when they made a Mormon Messages of it. 

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

A Beautiful Thing

You know what's great?
Having a new car.

First of all, I LOVE having a stick shift again.
Even in just a little Scion, I feel like a racecar driver, which is the greatest thing.

The night I drove it back from Logan was one of the most glorious things.
I got on the freeway and, being used to it taking 500 years to get to freeway speed, it blew my mind when all of a sudden there I was at 80 miles an hour!
You guys, cruise control. Let's just talk about how great that makes a three-hour drive.
My old car had it, but it (naturally) didn't work.

By the time I hit the canyon, I was in Heaven.
I had accepted my role as the person everyone gets mad at for going so slow up the hills.
But guess what? This little baby just goes up them like it's nothing!
It's not even hard!

The turn signals work.
The stereo turns on and off with. the. car.
I have a clicker thing to lock and unlock with. No more frozen locks!
It gets warm inside before I reach my destination.

The gas mileage. Oh, the gas mileage.
On average, around town type of driving, my Montero got about 10 miles per gallon.
(yes, I realize how terrible that is.)
It used to take me almost a full tank of gas to get to my parents' house.
Well the trip with this one didn't even take half a tank. It's been a week and I still haven't hit the quarter mark.

In case you can't tell, my old car was... special.

I'm in love!

Now, we're still stuck in the predicament of a name for my car.
I've spent a week with her now, and these are the few I've narrowed it down to.
Vote! What do we think?

Viola - you know, from She's the Man and Twelth Night
Nike - the Greek goddess of victory
Hera - queen of the heavens, wife of Zeus
Sasha - i.e. 'Sasha the Scion' alliteration is always good...

This isn't a conclusive list, so if you have other ideas shoot them my way!

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Growing Up

I'm sitting in a gym in Denver, waiting for a meet to start.

Yesterday came with a strange realization.
I'm like, a real grown-up now.
(Did you have to read that twice? Because I sure did.)

Yesterday, I bought a car.
Would you like to meet her?


Isn't she pretty? 
Naturally, she had to be Aggie-fied... 


Now all she needs is a name!
I can't imagine having to name a child, where the name actually matters and stuff. 
Such a stressful decision! 
Let me know if you have any suggestions please!

I've had her since Monday, but went and signed my life away at the credit union yesterday. 


Afterward, I booked it to the parking lot where we were meeting to leave for the airport. 
I went from buying a car to going on another "business trip."
(because supposedly this is work, but it's also the greatest thing ever.)

Only real grown-ups do those sort of things, right? 
When did that happen?
The scary (err... exciting?) thing is all the things that must be coming up next. 

Thursday, February 21, 2013

A Cock-Eyed Optimist

This song pretty much sums up how I feel about this life.


The way I see it, the energy it takes to be miserable and negative isn't worth it.

I'm the one who looks at a situation and sees how it can improve.
I look at the positive side of things, see what I can learn and how I can grow from it.
Generally, I see people and see the good they have to offer.

I'm not saying I'm perfect in that regard, not by any means.
I'm just as quick to talk about someone or vent my frustrations about them,
(though rarely to their face because that terrifies me)
But overall, I like people.
It takes a lot for me to really not like them.

Some people may call it naive or ignorant, but oh well.
Life is better when you're happy and optimistic, I promise.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Two Neuroses Knowing that they are a Perfect Match

"You make a million decisions that mean nothing and then one day
you order take-out and it changes your life."

25 years ago today, two people made a decision. 
At the time, they had no idea what they were getting themselves into. 
For all they knew, it was going to be a regular Saturday night. 


These two people left that night for a dance in this building. 
These two people should have known each other already. 
They knew the same people and were a part of the same groups. 
Yet, for some reason, their paths had never crossed. 

Within just a few hours, these people's lives, and the lives of so many others were changed. 

25 years ago today, these two met. 


I go back and forth between if I believe in the idea of soul mates/destiny/etc. 
I know life isn't like the stories we see in movies.
Sure, there is probably more than one person I could be ok spending forever with,
(if that's the case though, you'd think I'd have found one... haha)
But what if one of them hadn't gone to this dance? 
What if she showed up an hour later? 
What if he'd left before they talked?

One thing's for sure, these three people wouldn't be around. 


It makes me wonder. 
With all of the tiny decisions I make every day, what effect will they have later on? 
How are all these pieces fitting together to lead me to my Mr. Right? 
What if I make the wrong decisions?

I know my parents' marriage isn't perfect. 
But I don't know anyone whose is. 
They've been through a lot and have been able to make it work. 
I'm so grateful they each made the choice to go that dance 25 years ago. 
They are my idols, my rocks, my everything. 
Technically, I wouldn't be here without them, but really, I wouldn't be who I am without them.
I want to be like them when I grow up and look forward to them helping me through the phases of life they've already conquered. 

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Wednesday Wisdom


I happened upon this on Pinterest the other day, and I really, really loved it.
I mean, who doesn't love some Peanuts in their life right? But Snoopy really has it all figured out.


:)

Friday, February 1, 2013

Boys vs. Girls

There are a few universal truths in this life.
One of them being that dating is pretty miserable.
Now, I'm not claiming to be a pro, by any means.
I have very minimal experience, and if I'm being completely honest, it terrifies me.

Each gender spends so much time complaining about the gender they may be pursuing, but NONE OF US have it right.
Girls are crazy, guys are stupid.
That's all there is to it.

Here's the thing about us women.
We overthink, overreact and over analyze.
After any interaction with a guy we're interested in - be it in person, on the phone, over text or Facebook chat - we will sit there (probably call our best friend) and go over every. excruciating. detail. trying to decide

but what does this MEAN??
It's just how we work. 
I can't tell you why we do it.
I wish I could explain to you why our brains/hearts work this way.
I can tell you that it makes us frustrated.
I can tell you it makes us crazy. 
We hate that we do it.

But not so fast, because it's not like you people aren't at fault too.

While women think way too much, men don't think enough about it. 
They don't realize how much every little thing means. 
Everything you say, everything you do, and the ways in which you do or say it, mean something to us. 
It's just the way it is. 

And for the love, if you're interested at all, just ask a girl on a date. 
A date is not a commitment to marriage. 
A date doesn't necessarily have to develop into anything. 
They are simply opportunities to have fun. Get to know people. Enjoy each other. 

Girls. 
Don't lead these poor suckers on. 
If you're not interested, don't act it. 
Find the balance between friendly and flirty.

Boys, if we are making a consistent effort - finding excuses to talk to you, invite you to do things, touch you or play with our hair when we're around you?
Odds are we're interested.
Do something about it. 

My biggest thing is that I don't want to be THAT girl.
That girl who throws herself at every guy. 
That girl who will do anything with any guy who shows up.
I'm picky and I plan to stay that way. 
Looking and acting ridiculous isn't worth it to me. 
The way I see it, the guy I'm going to end up with will show up no matter what. 
You have to try, but it doesn't have to be difficult. 

Ok, vent over. 
I'm curious to hear your thoughts though!

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Wednesday Wisdom


So usually my Wednesday Wisdom posts are some sort of quote or scripture or lyrics, etc.
However, today I decided to share my new favorite thing with you.
That sort of wisdom.

You ready...

COCONUT OIL


Girls, this stuff is brilliant. 
I haven't gotten super brave with it yet, but supposedly there are SO many things you can do with it. 
THIS is a super intensive list of all sort of things it can be used for. 
Seriously, she thought of everything. 

So far, I've only used it as a super deep conditioner and lotion. 
It makes your skin super soft. 
It makes scars fade. 
Seriously though, after just two or three uses on some scars, they were a lot lighter.

Here's my conditioning treatment.
  • Brush your hair through really well, making it soft and not tangly
  • Scoop up a big glob of the oil and start rubbing it through your hair
    (in the bottle it looks like it won't really go anywhere, but the second it touches your skin, it starts to melt and becomes easier to work with.)
  • Rub it through, soaking your hair thoroughly
  • Tie your hair up in a tight bun
    (all the websites say put a shower cap or something on it as well. I haven't tried that, but I imagine it would be a good idea.)
  •  Leave it! Take a bath, read a book, watch the latest episode of whatever it is you watch, and leave the oil sitting in your hair for 45 minutes or so
  • Hop in the shower and wash it out, shampooing and conditioning like your normally would
And voila!
I've been doing this two or three times a week for a couple of weeks now and have already noticed a difference. 
My hair is softer, tamer, healthier and more manageable.
Plus, it smells incredible.
Nothing smells better than coconut in my mind.

You can get it pretty much anywhere. I got mine for $10 in the vitamin, etc. aisle at Walmart, but then I was at Smith's the other day and saw a bottle that was bigger and just $7 in the baking aisle.
Seriously. Give it a shot and let me know how it works for you!

Just What I Need

Tonight as I was finishing things up and getting ready to go to sleep, I accidentally clicked on a link on my bookmarks bar.
It wasn't so much an accident.



I love this talk.

It doesn't matter what people think.
I am me, and there are people that love me for it.
Most importantly, my Heavenly Father.

I matter to Him.

While there are times that are not so great,
as I deal with all the things that come with being a grown-up
and the things that aren't so fun,
I remember that isn't what matters.
Other people's opinions don't have to make me miserable, because there's only one opinion that's really important.

I am happy.
I am me.

"God sees you not only as a mortal being on a small planet 
who lives for a brief season—He sees you as His child. 
He sees you as the being you are capable and designed to become. 
He wants you to know that you matter to Him."

Monday, January 14, 2013

When it Rains...

You guys, being a grownup is not my favorite thing.

Because when everything goes wrong at once -
When you're stressed and tired and hungry and cold -
When the bills keep coming in but the money does not -
When you have too much to do and not enough time to do it in -

Turns out you can't just break down and cry like you may want to.
It's not even so much of the fact that you're a grownup so that's not how you're supposed to behave,
Just that you don't even have the time or the energy to do so.

This has happened before though.
You feel like everything is crashing down around you.
Then a few days later, it will be like nothing was ever wrong.
Right?

Here's hoping.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Wednesday Wisdom

Guys, I've failed miserably at this Wednesday Wisdom thing lately.
So here's to getting back on track.


I still can't get over how much I love Les Mis, guys. 
I've only seen it twice so far! (are you as proud as I am??)
Anyway. 
The whole show is full of incredible words and thoughts. 
If you haven't seen it yet, do it. 
That is all.